Thorn Valley
by Organ Man
Summary: A year after Brisby's house is moved, a power plant installation forces Brisby and her children to seek Thorn Valley, home of the Rats of NIMH. What will await them there? More than they could've ever expected.
1. Prologue

Mrs. Brisby's cinderblock home landed in it's new place with a thump. The light faded before the rat's eyes, and Brisby collapsed, exhausted.

There was a silence as the rats of NIMH stared at Mrs. Brisby, bewildered.

Martin and Teresa were bewildered themselves. At first the black stuff seemed about to swallow them all up, but then everything went bright and the black stuff vanished, and they felt like they were gently floating before landing with a thump, unharmed.

Still a bit shocked, they clutched the table that had improvised as a boat for a while.

The Shrew had just woken up, having slept through the entire ordeal on another table. "Oog...what happened?"

"I think we just moved." Cynthia replied simply.

"Just like that? Let's see. I don't think anything happened...what did the rats do?"

Martin groaned sourly.

The shrew managed to find the exit of the block and walked out to find herself under the lee of the stone. They had moved.

"Well, that's that I suppose. Though why Brisby needed rats to - BRISBY!"

The shrew saw the unconscious Brisby surrounded by rats and ran with all speed towards her. "Brisby! What did you-"

"You wouldn't believe us if we told you." One of the rats, a tall brown one with a friendly enough face replied airily.

The Shrew stared at Brisby in panic before being reassured by Mr. Ages. "She's fine, she's just unconscious."

"Then why are we all just standing here?" The shrew had lost her shrewish voice in all this.

"Justin, could you..."

Justin snapped out of his trance and began to pick the sleeping mouse up.

"Careful...Mind her head...gently...easy...there." Mr Ages and the shrew took turns in advising Justin in carrying the sleeping Brisby to her house. "Little further...Here's where you get in."

Teresa and Martin saw Justin carrying Mrs. Brisby and assumed the worst at first, but a sleepy mumble from Brisby relaxed them enough to show the good rat where to put her.

Cynthia had ducked under a table at Justin's sight.

Justin gently laid the mouse widow that had warned them in time in her bed, smiling quietly.

Cynthia eventually got the courage to ask. "Are we moved yet?"

"Yes, little one. You're safe from the plow now." Justin turned to see another sleeping little mouse that seemed to be breathing laboriously. Justin felt his forehead. Bad Fever. No wonder Brisby needed to move.

Mrs. Brisby began talking in her sleep.

"I did it Jonathan...Timmy's safe now..."

"Er...yes he is." Justin could reply.

Brisby opened her eyes. "Heheh...hello Justin. My hands are..."

"Easy Brisby. Don't try to get up."

Brisby smiled. "I guess you had better get going, hmm?"

"Yes. We have to journey to Thorn Valley tonight. Thank you again."

"T...Take this." Brisby managed to get the red amulet off her neck to give to Justin.

"But...but Brisby..." Justin was more than a little unsure about what to do about this.

"Take it Justin." Brisby began to fall asleep again. "It'll give you luck...Yaawwwn. Nicodemus told me...Courage of the Heart is very rare...the stone has a...power when it's there...take it."

"Ok..." Justin pocketed the amulet, still a little unsure. "We're leaving for Thorn Valley. Maybe we'll see you again... Can you promise to come one day?"

"...yes...I promise." Brisby finally fell asleep.

Justin slowly walked out of the Brisby home, looking at the amulet. Brisby had trusted him with it...Nicodemus had given it to her. Nicodemus...

Justin managed to leave the house. The other rats were still there.

"Friends, tonight we leave for Thorn Valley."

And they left, Justin managing one last look at the house. The children were waving.

Justin waved back and left the farm.


	2. Just another day

The Secret of NIMH: Thorn Valley  
Chapter 1

Just another day.

-

Mrs. Brisby got out of her bed, stretched, yawned and sighed. The sunlight filtered through the small window - another glorious, sunny day. She smiled and put on her red cape...cloak...cloth. She never bothered to give it a name.

The children were still sleeping peacefully, so she tiptoed out of the room to prepare a little breakfast before they woke up. Just like any other day.

She checked her cupboards. She didn't have enough rice grains, so she would have to go outside and look for some in the fields. Brisby sighed and walked out of her cinderblock house.

It had been a little over a year since the rats of NIMH and Justin helped her move the house. Mr. Ages had left as well after a while. She couldn't help missing them, but she was not in any real hurry to go to Thorn Valley. She would, someday, with the children. She had promised that, and Brisby didn't go back on promises.

But not now. She simply didn't know of how to get to Thorn Valley safely, and she saw no immediate reason to leave her home on the Fitzgibbon farm. It was safe, cozy and had all her things there, especially her children.

Brisby sneaked out into a field nearby where the farmer had recently harvested some crops. There were always some grains left, more than enough for a family of mice. Mrs. Brisby picked a few up and darted back to the cinderblock. She was still wary of the cat.

When she returned, the children had woken up. Cynthia was still the wide eyed child she was a year ago. Martin was still as pudgy and as precocious as ever, and Teresa had grown quite quickly. Even Timothy had become somewhat stronger as the year had passed, recovering from his bout with Pneumonia. He was still as thoughtful and gentle as ever, though.

Brisby cooked a warm breakfast for the five of them, and they ate up heartily. Martin wolfed his down before demanding to know when they would make the trip to Thorn Valley. It had been a year.

"Martin!" Teresa scolded.

"It's alright, Teresa. I don't know, Martin. Not until we know how to get there, at least. Now eat up, Timothy, Cynthia. Besides, I'm not in a real hurry to leave home. Are you, Martin?"

"Umm...I guess not."

"BRISBY!"

"Oh, Auntie Shrew!"  
"Oh, Auntie!"  
"OH, no!"

The busybody shrew in question walked into the house with her usual dignified air. Martin skulked off towards his room before she could notice him, while the others politely offered her his seat and a hot meal.

"Thank you, no. I won't be staying long. What are you making, Brisby?"

"Oat broth, I believe. It's quite delicious. Won't you have a taste?"

"Again, no thank you. I just popped by to speak to you, Mrs. Brisby. There's something you might need to know."

"What?" Cynthia asked eagerly.

"Don't worry about it, child. Brisby, could we talk outside?"

"What is it?" Teresa asked.

"Brisby?"

"Um, oh yes, sure, Timothy could you clean up? I'll see what this is about."

Brisby and the shrew walked outside, the sun now significantly higher in the sky. Brisby basked in it shortly before turning to the shrew.

"Why couldn't you tell the children?"

"I didn't want to make them worried...I'm not too sure about this myself to be honest." The shrew's usual veneer had vanished, as it usually did when something serious was afoot.

"What?"

"Look at the farmer's house."

Brisby looked. There was a large van in the driveway, and there were tall men moving things out of the house. The farmer, his wife and son all looked at the procession a little sadly. The cat was in a small cage, probably to keep it from troubling the people. It was growling lowly.

"What's happening?"

"I think that farmer Fitzgibbon is moving. That's why they're taking everything out of the house. I'm not sure who moving back in...I think things are going to change soon, Brisby."

"That why you didn't want the children to know?"

"No sense worrying them over something that isn't certain. The new owner could just be like the farmer, or maybe no-one's moving in. As I said child, I don't know."

"Hmm." Brisby was deep in thought for a short time, and then made a bold decision. "Dragon's in a cage...Maybe I could take a look and see what is happening?"

"Are you certain you should do that? What if they release him?"

"I should find out what's going to happen before we do anything. Watch the children for me, will you kindly?"

Brisby had taken off before the shrew could reply. The busybody threw her hands up in resignation and sighed. Brisby hadn't changed a bit. The shrew walked towards the doorway to the house, opening it.

Martin and Cynthia bowled out.

"Why you - were you eavesdropping, children?"

"No, we just wanted to know what you were talkin' about!" Martin retorted.

"That's eavesdropping!" The shrew growled.

"I've seen YOU do it!"  
"Oh hush! I won't get into another argument with you!"

"Are we gonna have to move again?" Cynthia asked briskly.

That seemed to calm the shrew. "Ï don't know. Your mother went off to find out. Asked me to watch you."

"Ok."

Cynthia's question raised a troubling thought in the shrew's mind. What if...No, they didn't know yet. No sense causing the kids unnecessary concern.

Still...


	3. Changes

Secret of NIMH: Thorn Valley: Chapter 2

Changes.

-

Farmer Fitzgibbon watched the movers place his phone, chair, bed and piano into their large white truck. He was a little sad, but he didn't want to show it.

Billy wasn't very good at hiding feelings. "But Dad, why are we leaving? I like it here!"

"So do I, Billy. But we've got no choice. You heard the bank agent when he came by. We gotta sell the farm. 'Sides, I've been thinking about retirement for a while now. Relax, Billy." He said that more to himself than Billy.

"But dad..."

"No buts now, Billy."

Dragon looked up and snarled through his cage at something unseen by the farmer. Mr. Fitzgibbon simply kicked the cage lightly.

"You shut up too, Dragon. I know yer upset, but we gotta keep you in there so you don't bother the movers."

"Stupid cat."

Dragon only growled lowly. The Fitzgibbons were totally unaware of the presence the cat had sensed, one that was listening to their every word intently. Mostly it was simply cautions to the movers.

"Now don't drop that piano! It's expensive."  
"My mother gave me that clock..."  
"Watch it now..."  
"Here we go..."  
"Almost through, Mr. Fitzgibbon."

"That's alright." the farmer sighed in resignation.

Mrs. Fitzgibbon eventually popped a question that all ears were curious to here. "So who will be moving in?"

"That would be me."

Almost everyone jumped in surprise. In the hustle and bustle no-one had noticed a car drive up to the farmstead. Out stepped a tall man in an expensive suit that looked somewhat ruthless.

"Oh, Mr Tucker! Didn't see you come in..."

"I tend t' do that. You almost finished?" He seemed a bit impatient.

"Yes, just a few more things..."

"Good. I can't wait t' get started on this land."

"What are you going to do with our farmstead, Mr. Tucker?"

"Alright. Now don't hate me fer this, but I got a government contract that says I can build a power plant here."

"A power plant?"

"Yeah. Like I said, government contract. The town needs the energy an' jobs, and this is the only feasible farmstead close enough. Don't hate me fer this."

"You...you're gonna pave it all up?" Mrs. Fitzgibbon looked horrified, and she wasn't the only one.

"Yeah. Don't hate me fer it, it's government stuff. I can show you the contracts and stuff..."

"Siggggh...No need." Mr. Fitzgibbon walked away from the group to look at his livelihood one last time.

Mr. Tucker joined him. "Don't hate me fer..."

"I know, I know, just wanted to look one last time. I worked this land for a long time now..."

"Well maybe ye'll feel better at the new farm you're going to."

"Sigh...So when are you starting to pave it?"

"Day after tomorrow."

Out of the corner of his eye, Mr. Tucker saw a small brown and red shape scuttle away speedily from behind him. He jumped slightly.

"What wassat?"

"Just a mouse."

This mouse had heard everything, and was rushing back home with all speed her little legs could allow. She had news to give. Serious news.

"Are you Serious?" The shrew practically shrieked.

"Yes." Mrs. Brisby nodded sadly. "No more farm, no more food, period. It'll all be paved over the day after tomorrow."

"Dear Lord...We can't stay here...What are we going to do?"

"We'll need to move. For good this time." Brisby sat down as the words she had hoped she'd never have to say left her mouth. "Can't go back. Have to find somewhere else. Somewhere else to live. No more grains from the field..." She began rambling absentmindedly at the prospects of what would happen.

The shrew brought her back to reality. "Well it won't do any good to sit there babbling about things that can't be changed. Stop it!"

Brisby sighed again. "I guess...I better tell the children."

"Don't bother. Little snoops." The shrew opened the door and the four Brisby children toppled out like packages out of an overstuffed closet.

"Martin! Teresa! What are you...?"

"We wanted to know what you were talking' about."

"Are we gonna move?"

The silence that followed could have been broken by the sound of a pin dropping. The reality of the situation hit hard on the group. Even the shrew shuffled her feet uncomfortably. Brisby drummed her fingers nervously on the table she sat at as the children looked at each other with troubled expressions.

Finally the shrew broke the silence. "I'll go spread the word. The final moving day. Better be off." And she walked out with a thinly disguised stride of both self-importance and worried panic. The children clustered around their mother with eyes wide open.

"Where'll we go?"  
"I...I don't know. Somewhere we can live safely."  
"Will we be OK?"  
"I hope so...I pray so..."  
"What should we pack?"

That calmed Brisby down somewhat. It was always good to busy yourself somewhat when things change and you're not sure what to do. She stood up and addressed the children.

"Not much. We may be walking for a long time. Grab some blankets and toys, but only what you think you'll need. I'll take some supplies and food. Now run along children...Mother needs to think."

The Brisby children looked at each other, nodded, and then went to their rooms to decide what they would need.

Brisby laid down on the chair and tried to clear her head. There was nothing to do now but leave. To where, though? And what would they do? This was all happening so fast, she couldn't think clearly...

Those were questions for another day, she decided. She knelt down and, facing a wall, began to pray. Praying silently, she asked for help and guidance.

And she made a promise.

"Jonathan...If you can hear me, wherever you are...I want to promise something.

I will never leave the children. I will watch over them and protect them until the day I die. You have my word, Jonathan..." Brisby lowered her head sadly as she finished her solemn oath.

"Wish me luck."

-

This particular cloud had a silver lining. The day of the final move was on a good summer day when all her children were fit and healthy. Even so, she was saddened. She looked at her cinderblock house and wondered what would happen to it when the power plant was built. It didn't matter, she supposed...There was no way a power plant could feed her or her children enough. The children were all carrying parcels and packages that they nearly buckled under, with toys and blankets deemed necessary, some of which actually were.

The shrew came by to wish her and the children well. In her own way.

"Now don't talk to anyone you don't know...Watch the skies...Don't eat any berry you don't recognize...and DON'T go away from your mother. Do you understand that, Little Martin?"

"Yes, auntie shrew..."

"Good." She turned to Brisby, a little sad. "I need to head north, I have family up there. But you won't be able to make it there with your children. I guess then..." She sighed and shook her head. "Good luck, Mrs. Brisby."

"Good luck to you, too. And thank you for everything."

"You're Welcome." The shrew gathered up herself briskly. "I am always of the firm belief that when it's time to say goodbye, it should be done and be over with. So...well...Goodbye, Mrs. Brisby. Goodbye, children."

"Goodbye Auntie!"  
"Byee!"  
"Bye, Auntie Shrew."  
"Goodbye."

"Goodbye friend. And thank you again."

"You're welcome." The shrew shrugged. "Well, you better get moving."

"Yes, we should."

The shrew couldn't help but shed a secret tear. She promptly turned around and walked north, towards her future.

Managing one last backward glance at their cinderblock house, Mrs. Brisby and her children walked off into the future.

Whatever it held.


	4. Fortune favors the brave

Secret of Nimh: Thorn Valley  
Chapter 3

Fortune favours the brave

-

The family of five had instinctively moved towards the forest. There were dangers there, to be sure, but at least they had cover instead of being out in the open otherwise. Mrs. Brisby and the children walked slowly away from the farm that had been their home for so long. It was not a pleasant progress, and they routinely looked back. But they knew they had to keep going.

Night had fallen faster than they thought it would...the day had been spent packing and rearranging and saying goodbye. There was a tiny nook in a tree facing the farm, and when Mrs. Brisby had seen that it wasn't being used, the five settled down into it.

It certainly wasn't the Brisby home. Even after a good meal, the mother and children tossed and turned most of the night, half through discomfort, half through fear of what the future would bring.

These fears came to a head for Timothy. "AAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"

"Timothy?" Mrs. Brisby (who hadn't been sleeping well herself) rushed best she could to her son's side as he awoke with a start, the victim of some nightmare. She held his hand as he related his dream, best he could.

"M-mother...there was a cat anna monster anna house was burning down an..."

"Timothy! Timmy! Calm down. It was just a dream. We're all okay. I'm here. You're fine." Brisby said with all the reassurance she could muster.

Timmy took a few more gasps of air before he calmed down enough to fall asleep. Mrs. Brisby tucked him in again and did her best to fall asleep herself.

Her nightmare was not as chaotic as Timmy's had been, but it was no less terrible. The five mice were in a lush field with a large tree, playing some childish game of romp happily.

Suddenly night fell, and dark shapes like mice and rats materialized out of the shadows. Before the mice could run, they had grabbed them all. Brisby had clutched her children, but she found herself being pulled away from her terrified children.

"MOTHER! MAMA! MOMMY!" The children shrieked as the shadows dragged them towards a pit in the ground, with their helpless mother watching them. She tried vainly to break her captors grasp, but the shadow only grimaced as it dragged her towards another hole.

"MARTIN! TIMMY! TERESA! CYNTHIA! DON'T - "

And then they were all gone.

"NO!" Mrs. Brisby awoke with a gasp to find that she had been crushing Timothy's sleeping hand all the time. A quick look to reassure herself that the children were all there and still breathing was nearly not enough to calm her. She teetered back to her blanket, a poor substitute for a bed and fell onto it.

She had a thankfully dreamless sleep for the rest of her first night away from home.

Everyone's sleep was jarred by the sound of machines roaring nearby. The children had woken up and tumbled out of their beds in one motion. Mrs. Brisby knocked her head on the low roof of the cavern waking up.

"Mother, whassat?"  
"I don't know..." But in reality, she knew exactly what it was.

The five mice scrambled up to the entrance of the cave and looked at the farm.

Mr. Tucker's workers had arrived a day early, and they were busy plowing up the farm to make room for the power plant. Diggers and backhoes scooped out leftover crops, and a steamroller was flattening the area out for the asphalt layer to do it's job. Rabbits and moles that Brisby knew ran terrified from the mechanical monsters destroying their home. One of the huge shovels was making it's way towards the stone were they had once lived...

Mrs. Brisby decided she didn't want to see any more. "Let's...let's go children. We can't stay here. C'mon."

None of the four young mice needed any second bidding. They turned and never looked back.

The day was spent walking through the woods and picking edible berries while being careful not to make any noise. Every so often Mrs. Brisby would hear a noise and dart her head upward looking for what made it. Cynthia noticed it was happening very often.

"Are you scared, momma?"

Brisby looked at her youngest daughter straight in the eye. "Of course I am." Brisby could never lie to her children.

"Then why do you keep going?"

Mrs. Brisby couldn't think of any answer other than "Because I have to."

-

"It's because you're brave, Mrs. Brisby."

None of the Brisby family heard the speaker, or could see him. But he could see them. An electrically charged crystal ball...or something of the sort...allowed him to watch the family's journey from very far away. The orb sparkled with energy as the watcher looked on the image he saw.

"You're BRAVE. Braver than any of the mice in Micoloni. Braver than that fool, Nicolas. You just don't see it, though we see it in Nicolas. Whether it's there or not. Aheheheheheh."

The speaker was a mouse, a creature hanging in shadows that couldn't help but smile at everything he saw. He had an eye that glowed with a wild light in the darkness of his home. The ragged creature chuckled at his joke watching his crystal ball.

"You who tremble at the thought of a bird, but would walk through hell itself to save someone you care for. That's bravery, Mrs. Brisby. And that's JUST what the rats of NIMH and the mice of Micoloni need. They don't know it, but they need it. Ahehehehe. Brave."

"And fortune favours the brave." The mouse smiled, looking up above Brisby. "But sometimes, fortune needs a little push. Aheheheheheh."

The mouse's hands began glowing with a mystic power, and he made a shoving motion towards what he saw in the ball. The mouse let out one more chuckle

"And here...we...GO."

-

A noise, louder than any Brisby had heard before, broke out above the mice. Twigs snapped and branches broke as whatever it was came diving towards the five. Without thinking, Brisby grabbed her brood and shoved them out of the way as the black bundle smashed into the ground. It spoke angrily.

"Alright, who pushed me? Did you, Jacob? Huh? Someone pushed me I distinctly felt pushed! I know when I'm pushed!"

Brisby opened her eyes to a surprising and familiar scene. A goofy-looking crow was dangling a few inches above the ground, it's wings tangled in purple string. The crow turned to face them, and Brisby recognized him instantly.

"Jeremy?"

"Miss Briz? What are you doing here? I thought ya didn't OOOF!" Jeremy fell with a thump onto the ground as his loyal mate undid the strings, chuckling helplessly.

Mrs. Brisby giggled. "As clumsy as ever." She said under her breath. Jeremy didn't hear her, but he did hear her children's snickers.

"Now don't go thinkin' I tripped! Someone pushed me, I know it! Miss Right, did you see who it was? I bet it was that little scamp Jacob..."

The female crow shook her head laughing. Smiling and nodding politely at Mrs. Brisby and the children, she undid the ropes holding her irrepressible mate down.

"Ah, that, that's better. I swear, I was pushed. I know it! So, anyway, Briz what are ya doing here?"

"We're moving." Teresa stated.

"Moving again? You must like to travel. But why are you goin' away from the...oh." Jeremy quieted up, embarrassed. "The trucks on the farm...oh, I'm sorry. Oh boy..."

"Yes..." Mrs. Brisby sighed. "We're moving..."

"An' we don't know where."  
"Martin!"  
"Well we don't, do we?"  
"Martin please..."  
"Oh...sorry, mama."

The Brisby's sighed quietly. Jeremy looked a little puzzled. He thought where they would go was obvious. Why were they so unsure?

"Don't know where? Aren't ya gonna meet up wi' the rats?"

"Rats?"

"You know, the one's that you gave the sparkly to! They're in Thorn Valley, aren't they?"

"The rats!" Mrs. Brisby shot up in realization. Justin. Mr. Ages. Brutus. In the confusion she had forgotten them. She felt utterly foolish for doing so.

"The ones that went to Thorn Valley?" Teresa asked.  
"Thorn Valley!"  
"Can we go there Mommy?" Cynthia jumped up and down in anticipation.  
"Yeah Mama, you promised!"

"Butbutbutbut I don't know how to get there..." Mrs. Brisby stuttered. She couldn't help it. This was all so sudden...

"That's no Problem, Miss Briz! I can fly you all there! Ya like flying, don't cha? C'mon, I can carry you all!"

"Um..."

"Flying? Up in the sky?" Timothy seemed to be the only one other than Mrs. Brisby to be apprehensive about the idea. The other children were excited.

"Say yes, mama! I wanna fly!"  
"It'll be better than walking!"  
"C'mon, momma! We'll see the rats again!"

Brisby was overwhelmed. Fly? Her and her children? On Jeremy? To Thorn Valley? Where the rats were? This was an unusual development...

"Mommy?"  
"Can we go mommy?"  
"It's either that or walking to nowhere we know."

That settled it. Brisby stiffened herself, took a deep breath, and said

"Yes. Let's go to Thorn Valley."

-

The shadowy mouse watched them, smiling happily at the children's happy dances at the prospect. But they didn't know what they were in for, the watcher sighed. It would be a long hard road. He sighed, still smiling.

"So it begins."


	5. Thorn Valley

Secret of NIMH: Thorn Valley  
Chapter 4

Thorn Valley

-

"WheeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEEEYIPE!"

That single statement best described the Brisby family flying experience.

Jeremy and his wife were winging the five mice towards Thorn Valley on their feathery backs. Mrs. Right had the sense to have the children tied on with string to keep them from falling off. But Mrs. Brisby was still nervous, as all mothers are...she hadn't warmed up to Jeremy's speedy, daring flying since her last escapade.

But she was more worried for the children's sake. She had Cynthia and Timmy with her on Jeremy, while Martin and Teresa were riding on Mrs. Right. She routinely snapped her head back and forth between the two she was holding and the other two on Miss Right. She did it every other second, in fact.

Cynthia and Timmy were as nervous as she was, and their fingers were white from clutching Jeremy's feathers and the string that held them. Teresa didn't look as nervous from what Brisby could see, and Martin was simply whooping it up.

"WHEEEhheeeEEEE!"

"Mrs. Brisby, you're going to snap your neck if you keep looking around like that. Relax a little." Miss Right had tried to reassure her.

"I'm TrYiNg!" Brisby said between gasps of panic.

"Are we there yet?" Cynthia and Timmy whined simultaneously.

"Yep! Just a few more minutes, kids!" Jeremy replied in his chipper, friendly voice.

"A few more MINUTES? You said that an hour ago!" Timmy gasped.

"An hour? We've been flying for about 15 minutes! Not more, really! Don't worry, we'll be there before ya know it!" Jeremy chuckled, as he began climbing again.

"EeEeeEEeeeEEEp..." Cynthia gulped.

-

Markus exited the run-down shack of a home that the advisor had settled in. That was a waste of time. Still as mad as ever. He was laughing and telling riddles the whole time that Markus had been inquiring about the rats...

Something buzzed in the guard mouse's mind though. Two things that the mad wisemouse had said before he shooed him away. He mouthed them aloud subconsciously.

"It will be humility or humiliation for the mice of Micoloni..." That was one thing that the wise madmouse had said with a serious tone, as serious as he could get. Then he had chuckled at how similar the words were, and how similar the ideas were. Markus had pressed him for an answer.

And he got one that was even more cryptic.

"...The lady in red. What lady in red?" Markus mumbled. He shook his head and groaned. Maybe the captain could explain it better...

Something made the alert mouse's head turn up. Two black shapes were coming closer to the secluded valley that he had called home. They were too small and too close to be aircraft...Two birds. Crows.

The guard could hear the alarm being sounded over at the colony. Nicolas wasn't one to spend time contemplating, that could be said. The captain never wasted time with petty burocracy...his words, not Markus'. Still, something seemed to worry Markus about Nicolas' behaviour. What could crows do? Especially crows that far away.

Not that it mattered. The alarm had been sounded and the guard at the colony would start firing. Markus ducked and covered, his green uniform matching the grass and hoping that the crows wouldn't spot him and the arrows wouldn't find him.

-

"Here we are, Miss Briz! Thorn Valley!"

At the sound of the name, Brisby got the nerve to look over Jeremy's head at their destination. At first, it appeared to be a large group of steep mountains, impassable and unremarkable. But as Jeremy flew over, Brisby could see a verdant green field with trees and lakes, not a patch of brown dirt that would jar the view or boulders to disturb the serene beauty of the scene. The place was beautiful, more free and lovely than Fitzgibbon's farm by far. The place looked as though no human hand had ever touched it. Brisby was lost for words. A forest was in one of the corners, and Brisby could see a large green hill in the far corner.

"Are we there mommy?" Cynthia, who hadn't looked up, managed to squeak.

"Yes..." Brisby sighed. She smiled. This would be a good place to live. Good thing Jeremy had mentioned it, that meeting was very fortunate.

Jeremy and Miss Right laughed. "There it is, kids! Now, let's see if we can find -"

The good natured crow was interrupted by a thin brown thing that flew past him, barely missing him. He flew back in surprise prompting Mrs. Brisby to grab the string and her children with even greater ferocity.

"WHAT WAS THAT?"

"I dunno, but it sure wasn't a bug...Look out!"

Another brown thing fired at them, barely missing Jeremy's right wing. "YAAAAK!" The crow did a haphazard midair dodge that nearly flung Brisby off.

"Dear god...Someone's firing at us!"  
"MAAAAMAAAAAAAAAA!"

Mrs. Brisby turned around in horror. Another arrow had forced Mrs. Right into a dodge, and she had unintentionally thrown Martin off. Martin was plummeting towards the ground like a fuzzy meteor, screaming in total fear.

"MAAAARTIIIN!"

Jeremy took action. With surprising skill and speed, he dove right below where Martin was falling, and through sheer luck, Martin landed right on Mrs. Brisby, his paws clenching onto her for safety. Mrs. Brisby nearly choked as Martin was thrown onto her. Martin clasped onto her like a barnacle, much more terrified than normal. And he wasn't alone in the sentiment.

"Jeremy, get us down NOW!" Mrs Brisby screamed as another arrow flew by their heads.

"You got it Briz! We can't stick around for a slow descent YIPE!" Another arrow whizzed by. 'Hang on tight!"

Miss Brisby and her children obeyed as the two crows took a nosedive towards the ground with all speed.

-

"Fire! Keep Firing, Archers! Fire!"

The mouse archers obeyed the command of their captain. Nicolas was a tall mouse, with light brown mottled fur and a black patch that seemed to make his right eye jut out all the more. He had a piercing glare that could convince anyone to do as he says. Anyone he knew, as far as Nicolas cared.

"Keep firing! FIIIRRRRE!" He was almost raving. Some of the archers were a little unnerved. They obeyed without question, however. They would have continued to fire at the crows had something not happened.

Something happened.

"Nicolas, what's going on?"

Nicolas turned around at the sound of a rather familiar voice. In came a smaller mouse than him, with tan fur and a small brass crown with tiny green rocks in the hilt like leaves. He was wearing a green cloth tightly around his neck, as though hiding something important. At the sight, Nicolas sneered, as did his archers.

"So, the high and mighty king comes down to tell us how to do our jobs!" One of the archers snapped. The tan mouse drew back in surprise, and then turned to Nicolas.

"What was that for, Nicolas? You know as well as I that..."

"Never mind that, Louis! Why are you down here?" Nicolas snarled. Louis was bewildered, and rubbed his covered neck painfully. There was a silence before he spoke.

"I wanted to know what the noise was about. You were screaming your head off...I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. You're always screaming..."

Nicolas pointed at the distance spitefully. "See those birds of ill omen, king? Though why you call yourself king is beyond me. They were spotted this morning, no doubt coming to take our wives and children from us!"

"How do you know, Nicolas?"

"I know birds, Louis! Archers, did I say to cease firing? Bring those birds down!" And the archers drew their arrows back, ready to fire. Then Louis noticed something.

"They're already going down, Nicolas."

"They'll come back up! I know birds."

"They're too far away to be a threat!"

"Have you seen how birds fly, O king? Huh? Fire, my friends!"

"You're wasting arrows!"

THAT got the archer's attentions. They stopped their bows and turned around to see how Nicolas would react. That was actually a very sensible thing that Louis had said...

Nicolas fumed. "Grrrrr..." His eyes went bloodshot when things didn't go his way.

"You waste arrows on birds that may have just been passing through, when a real threat could catch you all by surprise! I'm still king here, and I say you DON'T fire unless it's clear there IS a threat. We wouldn't want our wives and children to be attacked because we wasted arrows on something that wasn't even a problem!" Louis stopped, short of breath and rubbed his neck again. Nicolas saw that the archers were all looking at each other and nodding, though somewhat reluctantly. The king had a point. Nicolas growled and spoke.

"Fine. No firing until we can ascertain it's a threat. This won't happen again. KING. Now leave us. This is MY post."

The king gulped, rubbing his neck again. He was clearly afraid of Nicolas. "Very well. I want to talk with you later tonight, however, captain." And King Louis shuffled off.

Nicolas turned to his muttering archers. "What have I told you, my friends? He stays in his palace, never gracing us with his presence when we need it, and comes down to tell us how to do our jobs! Sanctimonious tyrant! Why must we bend our backs to him?"

"He had a good idea..." An anonymous mouse squeaked thoughtfully.

"Quiet, you! He's only trying to win us back to his favour, take us back under his control! Now be quiet and watch those birds. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir, Nicolas!" All the archers chanted back. One of them turned to watch the crows land far away from their home.

-

Brisby and her children couldn't be more overjoyed at the sight of the ground. Cynthia hugged and kissed it while Martin just splayed himself on it, grateful to be alive. Teresa and Timothy just huddled to their mother, who was overjoyed at having her feet on the ground again.

Jeremy looked utterly embarrassed and apologized. "I'm sooooo sorry, this wasn't a good flight I I I we I I'm sorry..."

"It's not your fault we got fired at. It's OK, Jeremy, you got us here. Thank you."

Jeremy and Miss Right blushed. "N-no problem. Glad to help. Listen, we better get outa here. See ya when I see ya, Miss Briz."

Jeremy and Miss Right took their leave, flying upwards towards their home.

The four Brisby children huddled around their mother. They were here...Now what?"

"Now what, mommy?"  
"Now we find somewhere to stay. C'mon. Let's find Justin and the others."

"But someone just tried to kill us!"

"They were aiming at two crows. Not everyone knows Jeremy. We'll be fine, I promise."

"You Promise?"

"I promise. And Mrs. Brisby does not break her promises." She said solemnly.

The Brisby family turned towards the verdant valley. It seemed even larger now. Taking a deep breath and cleaning themselves off, they strode off into the valley.


	6. Micoloni

Secret of NIMH: Thorn Valley chapter 5

Micoloni

-

The children skipped cheerfully in front of Mrs. Brisby, smelling whatever flowers they saw and breathing in the clean air of the valley. A few berries were spotted on a small bush, and they had an impromptu dinner. Brisby laid out one of their worn blankets and the family sat down to eat. The children stuffed their mouths full of the red berries, which had an exceptional amount of juice in them. Their mother chuckled as she wiped her brood's mouth with her cape.

"Don't each so fast, Martin. You'll get a tummyache."

"Buttheyshogoodmamaa!" Was her son's response. Mrs. Brisby laughed quietly.

"I know, Martin. They are good aren't they? Timmy?"

"Oh, yesh."

Brisby shook her head. "Don't talk with your mouth full."

"But you ashked me a question..."

Another pair of eyes caught the small picnic. Markus had been on his way back to Micoloni when he overheard the mice children and their banter. Intrigued, he walked closer.

Teresa spotted him first. "Hello, who are you?" Mrs. Brisby and the red-stained mouths of the children looked up to see a well-built brown mouse with a grass-green cloak and a tall stave walking towards them. The mouse smiled, his honest eyes twinkling at the innocent sight of the picnic.

"My name's Markus. And who might you be?"

"Oh, I'm Mrs. Brisby, these are my children. It's nice to meet you." The mouse in the red cloak replied with a friendly air.

Markus looked at her for a moment. The lady in red...he shook his head. "Nice to meet you too, Mrs. Brisby. Have you just arrived in Thorn Valley?"

"Um, yes. We just came in. We had to move from our first home, and now we're looking for friends here. Do you know Justin?"

"No, I'm afraid not. But if you're looking for a place to stay, I can show you the way to Micoloni."

"Micaroni? What's that?" Cynthia piped up.

Markus chuckled. "It's Micoloni. My colony, heh. It's a home for mice like you and I."

"Mice? No rats?" Martin asked.

Markus looked shocked for a moment, and then laughed nervously at the thought. "Of course not. Not that I know of, anyway. What makes you say that?"

"Well-"

Mrs. Brisby looked up at the sky. The sun was lowering behind the mountains. "It is getting dark...We should find somewhere to stay. Can you please show us to Micoloni, Markus? I don't want to wander about with my children in the dark."

"Of course I can, Mrs. Brisby. Pack up and follow me, kids." Markus smiled and waited for the family to pack their dinner up, Martin stuffing several berries into his mouth at once, and Teresa placing berries in her pockets. Timothy turned to Mrs. Brisby.

"Why are we going with him, mama? He just said that Justin wasn't..."

"Timmy, we can look for Justin and the others tomorrow, okay? I want to get some rest, don't you?"

"I guess so..."

"Who's Justin? Is he your husband?" Markus finally asked.

Mrs. Brisby head shot up. "Wha- Oh no, just a good friend." Brisby lowered her head sadly. "I...um...don't have a husband anymore."

Markus gulped in embarrassment. He hung his head and sighed. "I see. Um...did he get killed by those crows?"

"No! Those crows were our friends!" Martin retorted. "Were you firing at us? That was not nice! I nearly got killed!"

Markus stepped back in bewilderment. "What...Were you riding those crows? Why would they..."

"Mother saved his life once." Teresa replied. "How did you think we got to Thorn Valley? Walk all the way?"

"Yeah! And you nearly sent me to an early grave!"

Markus stammered. "Um...that wasn't me...um...er...well...we didn't know..."

Brisby smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. Most crows aren't like Jeremy, you didn't know."

Markus blushed and apologized. "Please forgive me and Micoloni, we'll try to make it up to you."

"That's good." Timmy smiled. The children had more or less finished packing. They stood at attention, ready to follow their mother.

Mrs. Brisby looked to Markus. "Lead the way, Markus."

Markus smiled and began walking towards Micoloni, with the Brisby family behind.

The sun was nearly setting when they came across a moss-grown, dilapidated hovel. The roof was sagging in and the house simply looked crooked.

Teresa was disgusted. "Is That Micoloni?"

Markus shook her head. "No, that's just a recluse's house. I'll tell you more about him on the way. Micoloni is this way."

Brisby saw some movement out of the corner of her eye, like someone was looking at her from the window. When she turned, there was nothing in the window but a tattered curtain. Brisby shook her head and followed Markus. The mouse she didn't see chuckled.

Markus starting talking. "The funny thing is, we owe Micoloni to that mouse, the recluse. He was the one who helped us to build the colony, taught us to farm and harvest, as well as to keep hidden from the air. See, this is an isolated valley, and no humans have been able to cross the mountains surrounding here. I think this is supposed to be a protected area, as well. But there are still birds and aircraft flying over here, and we shouldn't attract attention. That's why we, uh..."

"Fired at those crows?"

"Y-yes. We can't be too careful. That recluse...I think his names Befor, he showed us how to defend ourselves with arrows, and these." He held up his stave. "I'm good at using this, you should see."

"That'd be cool!" Martin piped up.

"So, if he was so helpful and all, why'd he turn recluse?"

Markus' face fell. "I'm...well...I'm not supposed to talk about it. He went mad, though, and left of his own will. He's still clever though...We refer to him as the mad wiseman. Hehe. I was going to him for advice when I saw you."

"Advice for what?" Mrs. Brisby asked.

"Um...I'm not supposed to talk about that either."

Timothy gave Markus a funny look. "Why not?"

"I have my orders...Ah, there! There's Micoloni." Brisby and the children looked ahead of them.

It looked like an immense, grassy mound with holes in it rising from the earth. But on closer inspection, there were tiny firelights blazing in the holes, and cultivated patches around the mound. The six mice walked closer, impressed. They came upon a large door, a heavy piece of bark slung over the entrance with a pale mouse with a green cloak looking over the edge.

"Markus, you're late...And who are these?"

"A Widow and some children. They need a place to stay. They are recent travellers here, and they're looking for friends."

"Can you attest to that?"

"Micus, they're trustworthy. Stop being so paranoid. I know what I'm doing. Now open the gates."

Micus shrugged and obeyed. Micus cranked a wheel near him, and the bark rose to reveal a grassy settlement with tiny firelights twinkling in the dusk darkness. Brisby looked in interest. It wasn't the electric lights of the rat's place, but...

Mrs. Brisby remembered something. Markus had seized up a little when rats had been mentioned...He thought he could hide it, but Brisby was observant. Why did the mention of rats set him on edge? Besides, she had taken an oath of secrecy when she had first encountered the rats of NIMH. Maybe she should be quiet about who she was looking for, until she understood more...

"Are you coming in, Mrs. Brisby?"

"Wha...Oh yes, thank you Markus." Brisby smiled and trotted into Micoloni with her children.

Brisby looked around her. It was difficult to see in the darkness, but the flames told her that there were several small houses on the street, all disguised as moss lumps. A hole in the top of the mound let sunlight in during the daylight hours, and there were small plots next the houses with berries growing on them. A well-worn path led to a large stump, were Brisby could hear some noises emanating.

Markus turned to her. "I just need to tell the king and the captain of the guard you will be staying here. Do you want to come in?"

"Um...I guess." Brisby shrugged. With her children following her closely, Brisby walked behind Markus into the stump. There seemed to be a private council proceeding, with two mice speaking to one another. Brisby looked at the two mice carefully. There was a tan mouse with a small crown around his ears and a green cloth around his neck that seemed to need to be rubbed every minute or so. He seemed nervous. The other mouse was a dark-colored mouse with a black patch around his right eye that seemed to make it stand out. He had a very fierce look and seemed rather angry at the tan mouse.

"Never interrupt me again, Louis. I know how to handle my archers, you are no warrior, don't pretend to be!"

"This isn't about the exercise, Nicolas. It's about how you AND that archer snapped at me when I showed up. Whatever did I do? You told them that I was infirm, didn't you, Nicolas? I want an answer."

Nicolas seemed to calm down. Seemed to. "I am not certain, Louis. The mice of Micoloni still remember your father very well. Perhaps they feel that you are the same as Lichus."

"I'm NOT!" Louis seemed to snap at the remark and leaped up, but sat down again, rubbing his neck. "I'm not. Why don't they understand? I'm not Lichus..."

Nicolas shrugged. "Perhaps they're bitter about your absence, Louis. I've been to the town, and I can tell you honestly that there are many spiteful rumours surrounding you."

"I still don't..."

Nicolas smiled. "I'll see what I can do to relieve their anger, my king. In the meantime, perhaps it's best you lay low for some time."

"What? But I've been absent for so long, I've been laying low this whole time, I nearly laid lower than six feet! I can't just sit on my laurels forever, Nicolas."

"Oh, you have, Louis." Nicolas muttered.

"I beg your pardon?" Louis had heard perfectly, and now he was getting angry.

"Nothing, Louis. You should lay low. Ask your advisor."

"I just said, I'm not...What is this about, Nicolas?"

"I'm as concerned for the people of Micoloni as you are, king. Especially with this new arrival..."

"What new arrival? I've received no word of this..."

"You don't know?" Nicolas yelled. "You fool! We may be invaded and you don't know about it!"

"No-one told me about any invaders, least of all, you!" Louis retorted, angrier than ever. "How can you criticize me for how I act when you never inform me of anything important?"

Just then, Markus walked into the argument. "Let's not dissolve into fighting... we have a lady present."

Mrs. Brisby suddenly had all eyes in the room fixed on her. She wavered a little in nervousness before Louis spoke up.

"Who is this?" He smiled politely.

"She can be trusted. I found her and her children in the field while I was returning from the madman's house."

Nicolas interrupted. "Ah, yes, the madman, the most enduring symbol of Lichus' madness. What had he to say?"

Markus shrugged. "Very little. I'll tell you later, I just wished to inform you, as per your orders, that we have a visitor."

Nicolas strode up to Mrs. Brisby, eyeing her cautiously. Brisby almost withered under his gaze, something in his eyes seemed to set her off. A look she had seen before in Jenner. Maybe it was just her. Nicolas looked over her children quickly, and smiled.

"You're certainly no threat." He said under his breath. Louis spoke up again. "Well, it is good that you have come to Micoloni, miss...?"

"Mrs. Brisby," She replied.

"Brisby. That's a nice name." Louis smiled in a friendly manner. "My name is Louis, and this is..."

Nicolas butted in, stepping in front of Brisby. He had a booming, smooth voice. "Nicolas, the captain of the guard of the honorable colony of Micoloni, and I can assure you that you are safe here. This will be a good home for you and your children to live..." He took her hand and knelt in a friendly gesture. "And I can assure that I will do all in my power to make your stay here safe, my dear. If there is anything you need, do not hesitate to see me."

"Um...th...thank you." Brisby replied nervously as her hand was held by the large dark mouse. Jenner had done that... This mouse was really making her nervous.

Markus intervened. "Then I shall show Mrs. Brisby to her house. There is a good place available. Mrs. Brisby, will you come with me?"

"Yes, Markus." Mrs. Brisby felt guilty, but she was glad to be away from Nicolas. He seemed to be an unnerving presence...maybe it was his eyes...

Those eyes bore into her back as Markus escorted the widow in red out of the stump. Nicolas turned back to the king.

"Markus went to the Madman's house to seek his advice on the matter of invasion. I will fill you in when he returns."

"Without my...very well..." Louis was a little suspicious now. What was this about? Markus would tell him, but it seemed that Nicolas wasn't keen on informing the reluctant king...

Brisby was led to her bedchambers by Markus. It was a house identical to the others, a lump with a door and a few windows.

"It looks better inside." Markus reassured them.

It did. There was a kitchen table and a hearth for a fire. Two small holes led to the bedrooms and a covered hole in the roof would let light in, with a small cover to keep out rain and snow. It was bare, but homey.

"It looks lovely...Thank you again, Markus."

"My pleasure. You settle down now, Brisby." Markus smiled and left the home.

Cynthia bounced around the room. "Mommy, it's bigger than our house!"

"There's no beds!"  
"We can make beds...Let's get started."  
"Are we gonna stay here?"  
"It looks like it, Martin."  
"But what about Justin?"

Brisby gulped. The rats...

"We'll find Justin later. In the meantime, let's make ourselves at home here. Timmy?"

But Timmy had already curled up and fallen asleep in one of the blankets by the door. Everyone soon followed suit, snoring away in their new home.

-

"Is THAT all he said? I knew it was a waste of time." Nicolas growled. He, Markus and Louis were speaking alone in the stump house.

Markus shrugged. "That's all he said. Humility or humiliation. Nothing what we should do about those rats."

Louis looked very troubled. "How long ago did they come to Thorn Valley?"

"Not too long -" Nicolas started.

"A year ago." Markus replied to the king. Nicolas glared momentarily at Markus when the king spoke again in an angry voice.

"A Year. And no-one thought to inform me about this. No-one." Louis snarled and groaned.

Markus was puzzled. "I thought Nicolas would've told you..."

"Well, he didn't. Even after I recovered. He never spoke to me about..." Louis turned in a fury to Nicolas. "And you criticize my actions? I'm not informed about what is happening and you complain about inaction! Nicolas, I demand to know -"

"What is the use of this discourse?" Nicolas changed the subject. "You know now. Rats are in the valley. No doubt they plan to invade our civilization. Savage heathens, we must deal with them first!"

"Invade? How do you know?" Louis snapped back.

"Because they're savages, that's why! How else do you explain the lights and noises we have heard at night from their camp! It is a good distance away from the colony, but we still see and hear them. What do YOU think they are? We must begin plans for attack, before they descend on us and kill us all!"

"I wouldn't know..." Louis growled. "And neither would you. Have you seen these rats?"

"Well...Um..." Nicolas was a little lost for words.

Markus remarked. "He has a point. None of us have been there. How do we know their intentions? They may just be creatures who want to live and let live."

"True." Louis agreed. "We shouldn't just declare a war on a whim. Not until we know more. Perhaps we should send an ambassador."

"But what If I'm right, Louis?" Nicolas retorted. "They'll kill that ambassador before he comes in the front door. We shouldn't send one of our own to his death! You can't argue with that!"

"Then what are we supposed to do? I will NOT allow war to occur without proper knowledge of these rats. I will NOT. I am king. Isn't that right, Markus?"

"Yes, your majesty."

"Don't do that..." Louis thought, and then turned to Nicolas. "Is that clear?"

Nicolas fumed. "Yes. I will gain information on these rats, and I will show you what to do." Nicolas turned and stormed away before Louis could ask what he meant. Louis turned to Markus.

"You certain the madman said nothing else?"

"Well...comet to think of it, he mentioned a lady in red that would be a player in what happens..."

Louis' eyebrows shot up. "You don't suppose it's that Brisby woman? What could she do? And why didn't you say this when Nicolas was in the room?"

"I don't know, and I didn't tell Nicolas because he'd well, find some way to misinterpret it."

Louis' eyebrows shot up higher. "Does he do that?"

"Sometimes..." Markus shrugged. "I honestly don't know, and I won't pretend to know. That mouse is still obsessed with riddles. Could be one way, could be the other." Markus took up his stave. "It's late. We should all get some rest, sire."

Louis sighed. "Yes Markus. And Markus..."

"Yes, Your majesty?"

"Don't call me majesty. Please. My name is Louis. Every time I hear the word sire or majesty I keep thinking of my father. Goodnight." Louis rubbed his neck again and retired.

"Yes sire...I mean, Louis." Markus mumbled, a little confused. Why would a king not want to be called majesty? Maybe Nicolas misinterpreted that too...


	7. A day in a new home

Thorn Valley Chapter 6  
A day in a new home

-

Brisby and her children were sleeping very peacefully when they were rather rudely awakened by a loud, booming horn.

TATATARAAAAAAAAAATAAA!

Brisby practically jumped out of her skin as she got up. What a loud noise. Her children were also awoken, rather upset. Martin rubbed his eyes and growled.

"Aww be QUIET! I was having a nice dream!"

Brisby looked outside. It was bright out, but what time was it? She told the children to stay put and walked out to the front step of her hut. The light was rather blinding, but she saw several mice scurrying around, in a hurry to get somewhere. Most of them were carrying large satchels of bags and gear, and she was a little puzzled as to what was happening. She could only stare, a little dumbly, at the fast paced procession.

"Don't you have something to do?" A rather rude mouse asked her from a distance.

Brisby stammered somewhat. "No, I d-don't know..."

"Well find something t' do, whoever y' are! Don't just stand there!" The mouse in question raced off to do his thing. Brisby gulped. They weren't too accommodating of strangers...

Brisby sighed and shook herself off. No matter. They were all up, so a breakfast was in order. She wasn't too sure where she was supposed to get food around here, so she decided to use up what was left of her packing supplies. Brisby went back inside and unpacked the rice grains and wheat sheaves she had packed when they had left the farm. She set out to boil some water for a breakfast soup. All her children were up by now, and they had shaken themselves awake.

Brisby and her children were halfway through their meal when someone came into their house. It was Nicolas, the dark mouse. He looked at the meal in a mood that seemed somewhat angry for a second.

"Where'd you get that food?" He demanded.

Brisby was shocked at how angry Nicolas sounded, as if they had broken a taboo, bringing their own food. "We...we had packed it when we left our home..."

Nicolas seemed to calm down. "Alright, you are new here. Listen carefully, Mrs..."

"Brisby." The lady in red replied, nearly withering under Nicolas' fierce eyes.

"Brisby. Hmph. Very well. From now own, when you hear a horn being sounded, you are to head straight into the meal hall, and take a meal there for you and your children. Then you're to head STRAIGHT to you designated...Oh..." Nicolas shrugged in a sign that was almost embarrassed. "I apologize most sincerely, good lady. You just arrived, you don't know where to go."

"I'm afraid not..."

"Okay. Finish your breakfast and I'll show you around. It's the very least I can do for you, Mrs. Brisby."

"Thank you..." Brisby gulped uncertainly. That was nice enough, but something about Nicolas still troubled her...

-

When they had finished breakfast, Nicolas escorted them very courteously out of the hut. The streets now seemed utterly deserted in daylight. Brisby was a bit unnerved at the apparent silence. Nicolas showed her to a large lump with two orange streamers at it's sides.

"That is the mess hall, where you go with your children to get food at breakfast, lunch and dinner. These will be sounded at morning, noon and evening at the sound of a horn. Try to avoid being late, and never take more than you are served. Is that clear, Mrs. Brisby?"

"Yes, Nicolas, very clear..."

"The Mice of Micoloni pride themselves on order. You will never need to scavenge uncertainly for your meals, it'll all be provided. You are also permitted to use the berry trees in your yard for snacks if the need arises." Nicolas paused, and the simplicity of his voice was replaced by a proud speech. "Micoloni is a perfect community for mice of all ages, but you must abide by the laws. We are the only mice in the world to have a system of government that works so well. Our civilization is neither uncertain nor unfair, and we freely provide all our subjects with food, shelter and...clothing..." Nicolas looked at Brisby cautiously. "Do you know how to sew?"

"Um, Yes, I sew all my clothing..."

Nicolas smiled. "Then follow me. I know just where to station you."

Nicolas briskly led them to a small field in the distance. Nicolas strode ahead of them easily. On the way, they passed a mouse that was carrying a large backpack that seemed to be a burden to carry. Brisby looked at the mouse with sympathy.

"Um, do you need any help with that?"

The mouse retorted. "No, I don't. I can carry this by myself, thank you very much."

That bit of rudeness was too much for Martin. "Jerk! She only wanted to help!"

The mouse growled. "Brat! Well I don't need a fieldmouse's help, or her children's! I can do this by..." As he was speaking, he toppled over, the huge backpack landing on the ground as his arms and legs helplessly kicked up like an overturned Turtle. "Whathe...ooof...erkack..."

Brisby wasted no time in helping the mouse to his feet, and with the help of her children managed to put the mouse back on his feet. Brisby looked at the mouse with a sincere look on her face. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, I could've done that by..." The mouse sounded bitter, but softened at Brisby's kind expression. No matter what she did, he couldn't be upset at a mouse that was so sweet. "Um...Thank you though. You must be the uh ... fieldmouse that came in last night. You'll be glad to be able to move on from your country past into civilization here, I can promise you that. Now, I'm sorry, Thank you, I gotta go." And with a polite wave, he waddled off towards his designated area.

"Hmf." Teresa sighed. "He talks us like we're bumpkins!"

"I guess we are to him..." Brisby shrugged. Suddenly Nicolas came up.

"Oh, there you are. What were you doing?"

"Helping someone up." Cynthia replied.

"Ah." Nicolas shrugged. "Now follow me."

The field that he showed them to was a lush green one with a lake nearby and several trees. There was a fenced off area with several children playing about in it. Nicolas shooed the Brisby children into the area.

"You kids play in here, and stay out of trouble now, alright? This will be where you stay until you become of age."

"But we wanna stay with mommy..." Cynthia asked.

"Don't worry. Mommy won't be too far away. I'm putting her in with the sewing group, and it's just over there." He pointed towards a group of mice sitting nearby a large tree, with a tent covering them. "I'll be right back." Nicolas closed the gate and walked off.

Brisby stared back at her children. They were all clustered on opposite sides of the gate, not sure what to do. Brisby smiled reassuringly and patted them all on the head.

"You all have fun, and stay safe. Try to enjoy it here. OK?"

"Yes mama..." Timothy was a little uncertain.  
"There sure are a lot of rules around here..." Teresa noted.  
Brisby shrugged. "We'll just have to follow them for now, I guess. Now try to fit in, I'll go see what I need to do."

Nicolas had returned, and with him was a white female mouse that seemed to be as big as he was. She was wearing a simple green dress, and Brisby could see scars peeking out from here and there. She must have been through a lot.

"Mother Jones, this is Mrs. Brisby. She has arrived here recently, and she will be put with you and the sewing group." Nicolas stated firmly. Mother Jones stared at Brisby discerningly. She had a softer expression and kinder eyes than Nicolas, but she seemed tough at the same time. Jones smiled.

"A'ight." Her voice was rather brougish, but gentle at the same time.

"Now, she is to be introduced to Micoloni society in the best way possible. Is that clear, Mother Jones? She needs to learn how things work. I have explained-"

"Oh, hush, Nicolas. I kin take care of my charges fair enough by myself, thank you very much." Jones replied briskly. Nicolas drew back, and a flash of anger shot across his eyes. Then he just shrugged and walked away.

Jones turned to Brisby. "New here, huh? I'll show you to where the sewing group stays. C'mon, Brisby."

Brisby smiled in thanks and kissed her children goodbye. Jones smiled again, warmly.

There was a circle of female mice, all with cloths and thread in their hands, busily sewing and talking among themselves. Brisby walked a little closer.

"Um, excuse me..."

They all turned to her suddenly, and Brisby smiled nervously. "I was told to come here by Nicolas..."

Mother Jones spoke up. "Mrs. Brisby'll be joining us now. Everyone be nice with her, she just arrived." She sat down in the circle and motioned Brisby to do the same." Sit down. Here's some needles, You'll finish up this shirt for starters. Remember, ya gotta leave the sleeves and bottom open where the marks show. If you got a question, just ask me. "

Brisby had two small needles thrust in her hands, and was beckoned by Mary towards a seat where there was a small shirt half-finished. Brisby sat down amid an uncomfortable silence as the other mice looked at her discerning. She smiled sweetly.

"Thank you, Mother Jones."

"Just arrived in Micoloni?" One of the mice asked her.

"Er, yes. Last night..."

"Oh, so that was you! My husband said that a lady in red was responsible for stopping that meeting."

Brisby blushed embarrassed at the mention of the interrupted meeting. "Yes, that was me, I'm sorry..."

"Don't be!" Another mouse laughed. "Those meeting needed to be ended a lot sooner. It's nothing more than Nicolas making those grandiose speeches and threats and mocking poor Louis. You should crash a few more of those gatherings. We need it."

"Yeah, Nicolas is gaining too much support with his big speeches and his high air about our 'great civilization' and blessings and luck and safety. And then he goes and yells about 'the tyrant' that we 'bend our backs to'. He really overdoes it and puts so much emphasis on this mysterious threat, it's really annoying."

"Yeah, and they're all eating him up...Oh! Where are our manners? We never introduced ourselves. I'm Hedda."

"Eliose."  
"Alice."  
"Dichusa."  
"Mimi."  
"Lara."

"Mrs. Brisby." Brisby smiled, finally at ease. These were good mice, and she was relived to have someone to talk to as she sewed.

"Mrs. Brisby. That's a nice name. I like that cloak, did you sew it yourself? We never get red thread." Mimi remarked.

"Yes, I did. My husband liked it as well." Brisby replied, beginning her sewing at the shirt. Mary watched her carefully.

"Try not to drop a stitch...yeah, like that. So how'd you live before you came here?"  
Mary asked.

"Oh, I lived on a farm since I was born. My home was a hollow cinderblock, and we got what we could from what the farmer harvested during the summer. It was actually a very nice place, good place to raise children. We loved it there, but we had to move a lot to avoid the farmers plow."

Eloise: "Is that why you came here?"

Brisby: "No, sadly. The farm was paved over and we had to leave our home for good. We had friends that said they'd be in Thorn Valley, so we headed straight here."

Lara: "That's too bad...How'd your children take it?"

Brisby: "Quite well. They're all playing in the enclosure...Their a bit nervous and, so am I. Starting over and all. I'm glad Nicolas showed us around. Is this right, Mother Jones?"

Mother Jones: "Yep. Don't worry 'bout it, I'll tell you if you got a problem. And call me Mary."

Hedda: "What do you think of Nicolas? He's captain of the guard here."

Brisby: "He's...polite. He really makes me nervous, though. Something in his eyes. It's probably just me though."

Dichusa: "It ain't just you. Everybody's scared o' him a bit. They all like him cause of his speeches and stuff. My husband keeps talkin' about Nicolas being right all the time and knowing all. Yeah right."

Alice: "Speaking of which, have you found out any more about this 'threat' he's been leaning on?"

Mimi: "Nope. I'm starting t' wonder if there is a threat."

Eloise: "So how's your husband, Brisby?"

Brisby: "I don't have a husband anymore."

There was an uncomfortable silence as Brisby looked down sadly. Then Mimi spoke up again.

"That's too bad. What happened?"

Brisby: "A cat. It was about two years ago, now. It's still pretty hard."

Mary: "That stinks. I know how it feels, I lost my husband a few years ago myself. Not in that way, but...it's still hard."

Brisby: "Ohhh...sorry."

Mary: "It's tough, huh? Ya gotta be tougher."

Mimi: "And you're pretty tough Mary. Ya know Brisby, they call her Mother Jones cuz she adopts all these kids after their parents are...Well, you know."

Brisby: "Really?"

"Mary: "Yup. It's a real challenge, I tell ya."

Eloise: "Say, Briz, you said that you were looking' for friends in Thorn Valley. Anyone we know?"

Brisby: "Um...er, no. I don't think so."

Alice: "What're they like?"

Brisby: "They're good creatures, very smart. One of them, Justin, was a good friend of my husband's. He helped me once, when Timothy had pneumonia and we had to move the house."

Hedda: "Sounds like a nice mouse."

Brisby: "Actually he's a -"

TAAAAATAAAARAAAAAAA!

"Lunchtime." Eloise sighed. "You know where to go, Brisby?"

Brisby smiled. "Um, yes, Nicolas showed me. I'll grab my children and head over there." Brisby put down her knitting and walked to the enclosure as the horn blared.

"Nice mouse. I like her." Mary chuckled.

"Me too."  
"Sweet child."

-

The rest of the day passed by in a flash.

During the lunch, Brisby offered the last pudding cup of her somewhat meager portion of food to the next person. The mouse thanked her and walked off.

Brisby learned quite a bit that day. She learned that food was a little meager for dinner as well as supper, but still rather hearty. She learned that a lot of mice had little respect for Louis and often referred to his father, but when asked about his father, they would change the subject. You didn't want to know. She also saw one of Nicolas' speeches. It was a powerful speech about Micoloni and how it may be time to stop following the fool Louis. Brisby was a bit troubled that they liked to pick on Louis. He seemed like a nice mouse, from what she had seen.

Brisby learned that the children had made a few friends, but were being treated like country bumpkins. Martin had even gotten into a scuffle with one of the brattier kids, named Harus. Mary told her, as they were sewing again into the afternoon, that Harus was named after Harass and deserved his name. She learned from the knitting circle that the recluse had left during the reign of Lichus, Louis' father. When she asked for more history, Mimi shrugged and told her they didn't know much, and their husbands weren't too keen to talk. Too bad. Brisby was curious.

As the family bedded down around sunset, Brisby reflected on the differences between the farmstead and the city. She sighed and hoped that she would get used to it eventually.


	8. Wounds and errands

Thorn Valley Chapter 7  
Wounds and errands

-

And She did get used to it a little.

Over the next few weeks Brisby and her children had gotten used to the routine of Micoloni. They got up when the horn rang. The children made their way to the playpen where they had some fun with their friends while Brisby retired to her Knitting circle. It wasn't a bad life, if a structured one. But it would be a lie to say that they didn't wish for the freedom of their country life again. In Micoloni, it seemed that they were following someone else's dictations.

Nicolas would have them believe it was Louis who was responsible for their orders. But Brisby had noted that it was always Nicolas who had given them the orders. It was always Nicolas who punished mice for not doing their jobs. It was always Nicolas or one of his guards that patrolled the streets every few hours to see everyone was where he was supposed to be.

And it was always Nicolas who, every few nights at dinner, would stand up and speak to the mice he called 'friends'.

He spoke about their heritage and how they should all be proud. He spoke of the brilliance of their society and how they no longer had to scavenge for food like common mice. Brisby always tensed at that. And he also spoke about how such self-sufficient mice should be able to govern themselves without King Louis.

He described King Louis as a proud tyrant, a self-serving madman who thought only of himself. When Brisby wondered aloud why, Nicolas turned on her, in anger at first, but then remembered. "You're new here." He then told Brisby about how Louis never came out of his no-doubt decadent palace to look upon his people. No doubt it was because he thought the mice too beneath his contempt. One thing that struck Brisby was Nicolas noting that none of the mice of Micoloni had seen their king in the months since his coronation.

It was that particular incident that made Brisby publicly known. Several mice came to her in questions, but no-one had anything against her when she answered. She was just too sweet and simple. Brisby still sensed they thought of her as a country bumpkin, but the majority of the mice at Micoloni liked her. She even had a few suitors, but she gently rebuffed them in such a way that none of them were bitter. She was a sweet, kind, simple, noble, helpful widow. No-one in their right mind could hate her.

While she learned a great deal about King Louis and his conspicuous absence, she also heard about Lichus, his father, who was apparently even worse, a symbol of the tyranny that Micoloni had come under. When she asked about Lichus, though, no-one was keen to tell her. You don't want to know, good lady. So she shrugged and assumed they knew what they meant, because she didn't really. If theirs was a proud history, why don't they talk about it?

She learned to calm down and take life as it was in Micoloni. She and her children. But the Brisbys were constantly thinking about Justin and the rats of NIMH. Where were they? Would the mice here accept them? What would happen? Brisby had sworn her children not to tell about the rats until they knew more. But what they needed to know was unclear. What they did know was that they couldn't go outside the colony. Too dangerous, and there were guards around the walls. No sense sneaking off.

So the Brisbys lived, played, chatted and worked in Micoloni acceptingly. What else did they have right now? It went on until one fateful day.

It was a normal day, and Brisby had finished her breakfast a little early. She was on her way back to the tree were she had to sew up a quilt when she spotted a mouse on the way. The mouse was wearing a green hood that covered his face, and was rubbing his neck constantly. He was standing beside the tree, resting as though he had been walking a long time.

"Um, excuse me..." Brisby started.

The hooded mouse shot his head up suddenly. Upon seeing a mouse coming towards him, he leaped up and tried to run. He got a few paces before a tree root tripped him up. Brisby rushed to his side.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, I just tripped..." The mouse turned to her. Brisby had seen this mouse before. The tan fur and green cloth covering his neck. When Brisby had last seen him, he was wearing a small brass crown.

"Louis?" Brisby inquired. Louis gulped, then sighed and turned away.

"Yeah." was all he replied. Louis got up and shrugged. He wasn't as tall as Nicolas was, and he seemed a little frail. Not the terrifying tyrant Nicolas had been speaking about.

Brisby was curious. "I thought you'd be in your palace..."

Louis sighed again. "I take it you heard Nicolas."

"I guess so...He said that you didn't want to mingle with us at all. That you were too proud."

"He did?" Louis sounded surprised. He turned to Brisby with puzzled eyes. Those eyes looked honest and sincere...no, they WERE honest and sincere. Nicolas' eyes looked honest. There was a difference.

"Um, yes..." Brisby replied. Now that she was seeing Louis, Nicolas' claims seemed ridiculous. This was no proud tyrant..."He told me that you weren't a ruler who wanted to associate with..."

"That's not true..." Louis was utterly perplexed. "Nicolas and my advisor told me that the people of Micoloni didn't want anything to do with ME!"

"He said that you holed yourself up in your palace since your coronation...is that true?"

"Yeah but..." Louis' eyes gained a faraway look at the mention of his coronation, as if he was recalling a bad memory. Brisby was even more curious.

"But what?"

Louis paused for a moment, considering Brisby. "Have you heard about my father, Lichus?"

"Yes but...they don't say very much about him..."

"So you don't...yeah, you weren't here..." Louis began mumbling.

"Louis, um, my question. Why did you stay there? Everyone thinks you...well..."

Louis looked at Brisby, then sighed and pulled back the cloth covering his neck.

"THIS is why."

Brisby gasped at the sight of the most hideous scar she had ever seen. It went directly across his neck, and the scab looked huge. There were badly-colored patches around the scar, like the skin around them had almost begun to rot.

"My father was a maniac, that's true. Everybody thinks I'm him. At my coronation, I was glared at, and when I went home someone tried to kill me. Slit my throat. I was lucky to get through THAT. Then it became infected and I...ugh, I nearly died of THAT. Spent months in my bed staying alive. It was horrible."

Brisby looked at the scar. It had been infected alright. Looked like something that would take months to get over, that was certain.

"I just managed to get back to normal a few weeks ago. Then I come out and everyone's lambasting me for being absent. I was in that lunchroom to try and figure out why."

"I see...can't you just, show yourself and tell everyone the truth?"

"Who'd listen to me, the way Nicolas has them going? Besides, they all think I'm my father...I just terrified that THIS will happen again." He pointed to his wound. "And in all honesty, I really wouldn't mind not being king. I was thinking about putting Nicolas in charge of rearranging things, but I'm not so sure anymore..." Louis sighed and shook his head again. "I don't know what I'm going to do. Everyone has my insane father's face in their heads, and if I show up after my absence, they'll just...I don't know."

Brisby smiled gently and patted the reluctant king's shoulder. "You'll think of something, your majesty."

"Don't call me that..." Louis started, but stopped at Brisby's sweet expression. He smiled again. "Thank you."

"Your - er - Louis?"

Brisby and the king looked up to see that they were joined. Markus was running towards them, apparently with an important message. He was carrying several large parcels. Louis sighed and shook his head.

"Nothing gets past Markus..." He chuckled.

"Louis, we have a problem...oh, Hello, Mrs. Brisby." He said, giving a polite smile to the lady in red. Then he turned to Louis. "The deliverer for Befor's twisted his ankle. We have no-one else available."

"Befor? Do you mean the recluse?" Brisby asked.

"MOM!" came a shout from behind them. It was Martin and Cynthia, running up towards the group of mice. Martin bowled over and Cynthia tripped into Brisby's arms, causing them to fall.

"There you are, Momma! We found you!"

"Yes, you did..." Brisby chuckled as she got herself back up. Markus and Louis looked at the spectacle smiling. Two children and their good mother.

Markus answered Mrs. Brisby's question. "Yes, he's the recluse that we passed on your way over here. He's an odd one. Nicolas banished him because of his mental state, but he was the one who helped build this colony."

"And he got the medicine together for my wound...did Nicolas banish him?"

"Yes...We owe him a bit, so we send him food every week. But our carriers unable to do it today."

"Don't you have other guards?"

"Nicolas has requisitioned several of the normal guards for something for several weeks now. He insisted that we stay at our posts for the time being. I'm not sure what he's doing. We need someone to deliver the packages." He held them up.

"I can help." Brisby volunteered. "I want to make myself useful."

Louis and Markus looked at her. "Um, I don't think you should go into the valley alone, Mrs. Brisby..."

"I'll protect her!" Martin boasted, grabbing a handy stick and whirling it around. "I'm not scared of Nothin''!"

"That may be, but..." Markus stammered, and then recalled something.

The lady in red. The important one. Maybe the wiseman could talk to her...

"Can I come too?" Cynthia asked.

"Um, well, uh..."

Markus regained the initiative. "We don't have many options, are you sure you want to go?"

Brisby smiled. "Of course. I'll do anything to help."

"Me too!" chimed the children.

Markus shrugged and turned to the king. "If you insist. But I really must insist your other two children stay here. And take this." He handed Brisby a large green cloth. "If you hear an alarm, put this over you and your children. It should hide you. I wish I could send a guard, but we can't leave Micoloni for the time being..."

"We'll be fine. Thank you for your concern." Brisby reassured them as she and Martin began picking up Befor's parcels. Louis turned to Markus.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Thorn Valley hasn't seen any birds in the last few weeks. The other messengers went through without a problem. I don't think we should be worried. Besides, Befor hasn't seen this one. Maybe he'll talk to her."

"What do you mean?" Brisby inquired, having overheard the last part. Markus turned to her.

"Just make sure you remember everything he says. He's still pretty clever. And try to be back before dark, Okay?"

"Okay. C'mon children.

Let's go see the recluse."


	9. The wise madman

Thorn Valley Chapter 8

The wise madman

-

"It's so GREAT to be out again!"

Martin's sentiments were echoed with his sister and mother. They had felt trapped inside Micoloni for a long time now. It was a nice place, but rather restricting. Now they were back in the field.

Mrs. Brisby smiled and shook her head. "Now, now Martin, we're here for a reason, remember. And we need to be back before dark. Now c'mon."

Martin groaned audibly, but then piped up. "It's still a whole day...We can find Justin and the others if we look around!"

"Look around the big valley?" Cynthia inquired. "It'll take longer than a day."

"Maybe, but we still have plenty of time! C'mon, Mama, let's get this errand done so we can start looking!"

"Alright, alright. Don't be in such a hurry, Martin."

She did, however, quicken her pace to the recluse's house.

-

The house was easy to recognize. A misshapen, moss-grown lump with no discernable features except a covered window and a door with a bizarre swirling pattern on it. Brisby looked at the house quickly. Looked a little foreboding, as if the owner wanted privacy and had designed it to show. Brisby was snapped out of her trance by Martin.

"C'mon Mama, let's give him the packages an' go!" He was hopping excitedly. Cynthia was keen on getting inside as well.

Brisby smiled and walked inside, carrying the packages.

It was almost totally dark inside. The window was covered, so no light shone into the madman's dwelling. Brisby and her children could barely see their hands in front of their faces. Cynthia shivered, and Martin could hear her shivering. They could see nothing.

"I CAN SEE YOU!"

The voice that announced it's presence was a wild, insane, dangerous voice that reverberated around the walls like an echo in a stifling cave. Brisby and her children shrieked in surprise as the voice, no doubt belonging to the Madman, let out a raucous laugh that chilled them to the bone.

"!"

Brisby wanted to be away from the place as fast as she could. She was about to drop the packages when they were forcibly drawn from her arms by unseen hands. She gasped for breath hurriedly. The madman laughed again.

"HAHAHAAAAA! AREN'T YOU SCARED?"

Martin then spoke up. "No, we're not!" He shouted his brave defiance to the unseen maniac that was laughing at their fear the whole time.

The madman chuckled. "YOU'RE IN HIGH VOICE TODAY...wait a minute..." Somehow he seemed less mad now. All of a sudden the curtain covering his window was shot up, and the Brisby's backed up at the sudden light. Mrs. Brisby finally managed to look up.

The entirety of the madman's dwelling could be seen now. It was relatively spartan in design, with a table and a cupboard and hammock. But what made it bizarre was the scrawlings on the walls. It was random, haphazard and messy, as if it was just there for the sake of not having blank walls. There were several bizarre devices that Brisby had seen in Mr. Ages' and Nicodemus' laboratories...

The curtain was being held up by a ratty rope. Holding the rope was the scraggiest, skinniest, wildest looking mouse she had ever seen. He was a white mouse, but that was difficult to tell because of his tattoos. They looked as though he had gotten bored one day and smeared berry juice over himself just to have something to do. He looked at the three visiting mice with his right eye, his other eye hidden from their sight. He had a large smile placed on his face, as though he thought it all a joke.

He regarded Mrs. Brisby closely, and she withered under his rather wild gaze. His fingers were drumming by his sides as he looked at a mouse with a red cloak and two children. Finally he let out a small chuckle.

"Hmmmmm. So you're the new girl. Aheheheh. Hullo."

Martin made an angry face. "And why did you scare us like that, huh?"

The madman was still smiling as he replied. "Because I'm a Madman. Don't tell me you've never heard. Ahahahahah." He took a berry from the package that Brisby had had taken from her. He never turned to face the family, keeping the left side of his face hidden from them. "My turn to ask you a question. What's a nice lady like YOU..." He got up a little closer to Brisby then Brisby would've liked. "...Doing in a place like this, with a mouse like ME..." He looked down at Cynthia, still smiling. "With her children? Aheheheh."

Brisby regained her composure. 'We were delivering a pag...a package from King Luise...er, King Louis."

The madman nodded. "Ah, yes. But why you? There's plenty of other mice in that proud colony..." He wrinkled his nose up at the word 'proud', but he kept on smiling.

"The assigned mouse broke his ankle..." Brisby started, but was interrupted by Martin.

"Stop smiling like that, you maniac!"

The wiseman's right eye became almost sad. "I can't." He lifted up a patch of fur around his mouth. "See?"

Martin gulped. The side of the madman's mouse had been cut in a long line. The scar turned upwards, making it look like a huge grin. Brisby and Cynthia were shocked, and Martin was a little embarrassed.

"What happened?" Cynthia piped up.

The madman tossed the berry to himself. "On order of the honourable King Lichus, ruler of Micoloni and Thorn Valley," He began in a booming voice, "It has been decreed that Befor, the official advisor of the king," He thumped his chest indicating him, "due to his rather bleak opinions, should be made to SMILE MORE!" He span around quickly and turned his back to the Brisbys.

Mrs. Brisby stepped towards the mouse she now knew as Befor. "I'm so sorry..."

"Don't be." Befor sounded sad. Then he turned his smile to Brisby. "Lichus is dead now, don't you know? Louis is on the throne. Not that anybody cares." He shrugged and turned away, walking towards a strange crystal ball.

"Did...did he really do that? The king?" Cynthia asked.

"Not the king you know. And, yes, he did. He did, he did." Befor shrugged. Then he stopped. "Not that I'm bitter. See, I see things in a new light now. Ahehehe." He turned his constant smile towards the three. "Funny, isn't it? When you're sane, everyone listens but you don't really understand things...And when you do understand things, you're too mad for anyone to listen to you! AHahahaaaaaa...!"

Brisby shook her head in bewilderment. Cynthia gulped. Martin then asked another question.

"How'd a crazy mouse like that get to be king?"

"The people elected him."

"WHAT? Why would they do that?"

"Well..." Befor started, but then he brightened up, his eye shining with eager excitement. Then he looked at the Brisby's head-on, still smiling. "Would you like me to show you?"

The Brisby's jumped back in shock. Befor's full face was seen now, and his left eye came as a shock. It was glowing. It was as if he had plucked his eye out and replaced it with a burning coal. Cynthia even thought she saw a faint trail of smoke coming from the eye.

"Did...did Likas do that too?" Cynthia squeaked.

"Oh no." He smile seemed to have grown wider. "This..." He pointed to his glowing eye. "This I did myself."

Mrs. Brisby had seen that glow before. In Nicodemus' eyes. But this mouse's eye was fiercer. Wilder. Crazier. What did this mouse know? And did he have any connection to the rats?

Befor chuckled, and then stepped aside. "Look here..." He pointed to his crystal ball, his glowing eye seemingly charging it up.

Nicodemus had done this too. Brisby was puzzled by the sudden nostalgia...

But such thoughts were pushed from her head as images appeared on the orb, and Brisby and her children stood transfixed at the spectacle the Madman was showing them.


	10. Pride and madness

Secret of Nimh: Thorn Valley  
Chapter 9

Pride and Madness

-

Befor: "I suppose we COULD start with when I was born, but that would take too long...so let's begin with when I arrived here."

The swirling matrix on the crystal orb began to clear, and an image appeared. It was a white mouse with a stave walking into the secluded valley. It took Brisby a moment to recognize it as Befor, without tattoos or a glowing eye. The mouse was coming upon a group of mice huddled together.

"When I appeared, the mice here were...well, same as every other mouse on the planet. A clear potential for being different and unique...just like everything else. Aheheheha.

There had been a particularly dry drought (most droughts are dry) and they couldn't scavenge as much food. Apparently nobody thought of going to the lake nearby. I guess they were afraid of the fish...aheheheh."

Another image appeared. It was the clean Befor again, speaking to all the mice in the valley. He was striking a very powerful pose. He actually didn't look much different from his wild look the Brisby's had seen.

"So, I got 'em all together. No easy task, it's like herding cats...If you'll excuse the expression. Told them plain and simple that they should just get some water and food up from the lake. They all looked at me funny, so I went down myself to show them."

Befor was now holding a bucket in his hands and had a fish in his hand. It was a tiny minnow, flopping about in his hand. He was looking at the mice with a mocking expression on his face.

"And here I am holding the monster they were so afraid of. There was a coven there that was too shallow for anything bigger than a minnow, and I pointed it out to them.

They all gave me quite the standing ovation for saving their community, even though all I REALLY did was teach them about fish. They begged me to stay...

...and seeing as I was feeling generous, I gave them more things for free."

Another image. It was Befor and another mouse, Befor was showing the mouse how to work a special plow.

"So I did. I showed them how to farm some crops good for mice, how to cultivate berries..." The image changed to Befor sharpening a stick "How to make weapons to defend themselves from the birds and other scary things, how to make clothes to keep themselves warmer...

They were very good students.

The thing I am most proud of though, is Micoloni itself. I found a mound with several tunnels going around inside...my guess is it was inhabited by moles."

The crystal ball showed the mice working on the lump with Befor.

"So we hollowed it out, reinforced it, made some dwellings, and I aheheh... christened it Micoloni. I was never very good with coming up with names. Aheeheh.

The mice were great students. They learned very fast. Very fast. I have to admit, I'm curious as to how...but anyway."

The image changed. Some of Micoloni mouse were speaking to Befor.

"All was fine, but then they realized they were greater than normal mice now. That was when the trouble started. They decided to petition for a king from their colony, as to make themselves equal to the humans. I was...hesitant. A king would cause trouble for the colony in several ways...There were better ways to distinguish them but, I eventually accepted.

In a way, I suppose they ASKED for what was coming to them. Aheheheh...hhhh."

Now Befor was beside a good-looking mouse with a crown on his head.

"I had the sense to pick their first king...Samuel. Good chap. One of those nondescript rulers everybody likes and nobody remembers. All was fine, for a time. The king was really just a figurehead to please those mice, and things carried on as normal. Fair enough."

Another image change. A mouse that looked like Louis was speaking to the mice.

"Then our jolly Lichus began speaking to the mice...in a pretty strong way. Like Nicolas is doing now. He convinced the mice...although I'm pretty sure they convinced themselves...That they were a special colony (true enough) and they had the right to decide what to do for themselves without an outsider's (my) help. So when Samuel died (I always wondered about that) Lichus was shoved into the throne by the people. We can decide ourselves, they all said. "

Lichus now had a crown on his head, with a reticent Befor standing beside him.

"Actually, it was Lichus who decided for them. He appealed to their growing pride and used it to further his campaign. Starting putting up all those rules and regulations for the sake of rules and regulations. Just like humans. Heheh.

I objected, but, well, he didn't like that."

Lichus was coming after Befor with a knife.

"So he made me what I am today."

Brisby and her children gulped.

"After that...the mice's eyes were half-opened. They realized that Lichus was a madman, but they seemed to have forgotten that they elected him in the first place. Typical.

Lichus killed himself before the mice of Micoloni could get their paws on him. And courtesy of a law that they had made him pass, his son got into the throne."

"Louis..." Brisby spoke absentmindedly.

"The very fellow. Not a bad sort. He'd probably make a decent king if he was allowed to actually rule. But no, he had to get attacked and nearly killed." The crystal orb faded, and Befor with his constant smile and glowing eye stepped in front of the mice. "He was lucky I got his medicine to his better advisor before (aheheheh) Nicolas had me kicked out by mutual consent. And...here we are now."

Befor spread his arms out and chuckled lowly. Martin was first to speak.

"Whatta bunch of idiots!"

"Yes...They need humbling. Or humiliation. Something that'll hit them hard where it hurts, namely their pride." Befor drove his fist into his other hand. "THAT will be what it'll take. And I can't wait to see it." Cynthia noticed he seemed angry despite his smile. She could tell by his eye. You had to read all of his emotions in that one eye, but Cynthia was good at that.

Befor had sounded deadly serious, but now he returned to his normal tone of voice. "By the way, I never got your name."

Brisby smiled back. "Mrs. Brisby. This is Cynthia and Martin."

"Nice names." Befor looked at them like their presence had started something he had been waiting for a long time.

Cynthia suddenly piped up. "You're not that crazy."

"Cynthia!" Martin responded with disbelief, but Befor only chuckled.

"Oh, I'd listen to her. Children understand much more of the world around them then most mice think." He kneeled down in front of Cynthia, eye-to-eye. "You keep looking in the right direction, Cynth."

"Ok..."

Befor got up suddenly. "And with that, I must bid you adieu. You have places to go and things to do."

Brisby was puzzled. "I do? Um, oh yeah, Louis wanted to know if you had anything to..."

Befor gave her a serious look. "I already told you, but seeing as I'm feeling generous, I'll give you another for free.

No-one who calls himself a soldier would attack an unarmed woman.

There. That enough?" Befor snapped his fingers, and to their surprise, the three Brisbys found themselves outside his house.

"What a weirdo." Martin shrugged.

"Maybe...what do you suppose he meant?"

Cynthia had an idea. Reminding herself which hand was left and which was right, she turned to the right direction. And she saw something.

"Mommy lookit!" She shrieked excitedly. Brisby turned to the direction Cynthia was pointing.

At first there was nothing unusual. But then there was a flash of light, not sunlight. Then another. More, different colors.

Brisby gulped. She had seen those lights before.

Keep looking in the right direction...

"Do you think that's..." Martin implied.

"L-let's go find out." Brisby couldn't hide the nervousness and excitement in her voice.

-

A dirt covered mouse popped into the place where Nicolas and Louis were speaking. Without hesitation, he made his report.

"The tunnel's complete, Nicolas!"

Louis turned to Nicolas in surprise. "Tunnel?"

Nicolas groaned, and explained. "You want to find more information on those heathens? Well, I'll go find it for you. We've made a tunnel to look into their dwelling. I will prove that we should be attacking."

"Tunnel? And when was I going to be informed?" Louis demanded, rubbing his neck.

Nicolas glared at Louis with his intimidating eye. "Don't worry about it. I'm going down there myself. Don't trouble yourself, king." Nicolas pushed past the muddy mouse before Louis could say anything.

Louis was troubled. Somehow, he sensed that this was a cause for concern. Nicolas had gone over his head totally. And what would happen now?

-

The three Brisbys walked in the general direction of the lights they had seen, cautiously optimistic. Suddenly, they saw a huge dark shape with a spear materialize in front of them.

Cynthia shrieked in panic. This creature was huge. Brisby was shocked too, and after dragging Martin from challenging the shape, she draped the green cloth over her, not realizing whether it would really hide them.

It didn't. The dark form lifted up the cloth to see Brisby and her children. Brisby willed herself to look up.

It was a rat. A big, burly rat in a simple garment. And she knew this rat.

"Brutus?"

Brutus' eyes opened in recognition of the mouse he had chased away a year ago. A smile appeared on his face.

"Mother?" Cynthia squeaked.  
"You know this rat?" Martin replied.

"Yes...Don't worry children. I think...I think we just found what we're looking for." She reassured them. She found herself smiling.

The children got up to follow mother and the huge rat wherever they were going.


	11. Reunions and selfdeceptions

Thorn Valley chapter 10  
Reunions and self-deceptions.

-

Nicolas walked quickly and purposefully along the dirt-lined tunnel to his spying destination. He had been clear that he should go alone. No-one else was to be with him watching the rats.

The rats. The rats that had soiled their valley and threatened Micoloni existence. This would be the first time he had actually seen them. That didn't stop him.

He saw a light at the end of the tunnel, coming from a crack that was just wide enough to stick an arrow or paw through. This tunnel had been built perfectly over the last few weeks. The rats, the heathens, would not detect it until it was too late.

Nicolas came up to the crack that allowed him to see the rat's dwelling. He saw exactly what he expected to see...a savage, haphazard mess of mud and grass, with skulls of slain mice and rats hanging over the imposing black door. Sentries clad in ragged, bloody robes carrying bloodier spears.

Now if anyone else with working eyes had been with him in the tunnel, they would've seen a clean, respectable and simple stone wall that had clearly taken weeks to complete, with nothing but a few unlit electrical torches hanging on the walls, a few watchful sentries seeing something from afar and running off, wearing simple covering garments with some metal armour. Nothing ominous or evil at all.

But Nicolas was someone who saw what he was looking for whether it was there or not.

The huge mouse's breathing became quiet as he could, drinking in the scene as he saw it before heading down further tunnels, which would take him inside the rat's fortress without detection. He knew what he was going to see. He was about to head inside...

When he saw something even he could not believe.

It was the mouse in red...Brisby...being led - no, forced in front of the heathenly gates by a huge savage with a spear. Forced, yes. She could not be coming here of her own free will...could she? Nicolas gulped. What would they do to her? No doubt something horrible...He had to save her; maybe he could drag her though the tunnelway back to the colony. What was she doing out anyway?

Nicolas opened his mouth to shout...it would give away his position, but there was no point in holding it. He knew what was there. He just knew. He was about to yell when another voice did the same.

-

"BRISBY!" A brown rat bounded happily out of the opened gate towards the mouse and her children. Brisby wasn't scared this time...in fact, she couldn't be happier.

"Justin!" She smiled as the friendly creature she had known picked her up in a friendly bear hug that carried her high above the ground. That was what happened when hugging someone twice your size. But she didn't care.

"Brisby! It's great to see you again! How long has it been, a year? How you holding up?" The rat chuckled as he held Brisby high in the air.

"Great, Justin. It's good to see you too!" Brisby looked down. "Um, could you put me down now?"

Justin blushed. "Oh yeah, sorry 'bout that." He gently placed the widow back on he ground as her children looked up admiringly.

"We were looking all over for you!" Martin chimed.  
"And now we found you." Cynthia added.

"That you did, o great searchers." Justin laughed as he gave them small hugs of welcome. Then he looked around. "Where are the other two?"

"They had to stay at Micoloni."

"Micoloni?"

"A mouse colony on the other side of the valley."

"Ohhh that! I know. But before we get anywhere, why don't you come in? I'm sure everyone will be glad to see you. I'll show you around."

"That's be sweet!" Martin replied as the three mice followed Justin into the dwelling of the rats of NIMH.

-

Nicolas could not, simply could not believe what he saw. Brisby was happy to see the rats? And they had welcomed her? No, they couldn't have. They were rats.

He did not see that. He simply did not.

But what did he see?

He knew what he saw. He saw Brisby being led up to the gates, a nasty smile on her face. It was difficult to believe, but easier to stomach than what had really happened. A signal from the rat had caused the savage skull-covered gate to open for her. And out came the leader, a monstrous beast wearing a skull for a crown being led on a litter of mouse slaves. Yes, that made more sense. The litter had been set down, and Brisby (who come to think of it, looked like a rat herself) kneeled in front of the evil king and kissed his hand.

We have missed you, Brisby. The rat king had said, a horrible voice from a horrible creature.

It's good to be back, my master. THAT was what Brisby had said, not a friendly greeting. She had a nasty look on her face and smiled badly.

That was difficult to stomach, but it was easier to believe than what he had seen.

-

A very friendly Brisby followed a friendly rat king through a friendly corridor with glowing electric lights and rat men, women, and children milling about in anticipation for lunch. Brisby and her children walked happily along the corridors. The children were fascinated with the lights that weren't fire, and Brisby shared their fascination. She had seen them before, though, in the rosebush. Which raised a question...

"Justin, how did you get electricity this time?"

Justin smiled, glad that she had asked that question. "This way, I'll show you before lunch." Justin was interrupted by a female rat and her children striding up to the group.

"There you are, brother! When I asked for you they said that you had to see someone at the gates and..." She espied Mrs. Brisby and her children. "And who are these?"

"May I present Mrs. Brisby." Justin made an exaggerated bow to Mrs. Brisby.

The lady rat's eyes shone. "THE Mrs. Brisby?" She said with quite a bit of respect.

"The very same lady."

Suddenly Brisby found herself mobbed by three young rat children. They couldn't have been older than Teresa, but they were almost as tall as she was.

"So you saved the rats from NIMH?"  
"Kind of..."  
"Can you really see the future?"  
"What?"  
"Can you see the future? How am I gonna do on my quiz?"

Justin put his hand to his eye in embarrassment.

"Um...I think you'll do very well if you just study..."

"Children, you're making her nervous. C'mon, we need to set up the tables for lunch." The lady rat rescued Brisby and the children shrugged and followed her. Brisby turned to Justin, eyes wide.

"What on EARTH have you been telling them?"

Justin blushed. "You'll, uh, have to ask my brother, their father. He's quite a storyteller..." He shrugged.

Cynthia broke the silence. "Weren't you gonna show us something, Justin?"

"Oh, oh yes. Follow me."

And they did. They passed through a few corridors, a few rats noticing Brisby and giving her a polite salute. She returned the salute as best she could. Justin narrated their progress on the way.

"We were a little worried about going on without electricity, but we got lucky. We found an old man's wagon outside the valley. The man was dead, so we buried him best we could. He was a toy tinkerer, so he had a lot of gears and Christmas lights and tools we could use. So we got them inside and started building this place."

"Does it have a name yet?"

"Not really. We're still thinking of one. Ah, here we are." Justin pointed them to a large, glowing cylinder that was humming with loud energy. A large wooden sign was placed in plain view, DO NOT TOUCH.

"This is where we get our electricity. We knew how generators work, and we found the materials needed thanks to that good old man. I hope he rests in peace. We have electricity, running water, well stored grains, farms, breweries...everything we need."

A loud bell sounded a single boom.

"Speaking of which, we're just about to have lunch. Would you care to join us? We'd be honoured." Justin smiled and Brisby agreed.

The mice and rat walked into a large dining hall. There were well-dressed rats at every table, and the tables were filled with good food, almost overflowing the table. There was a hand-carved electric chandelier hanging from the roof, and a small crack running along the ground where it met the wall.

A few rats saw the visitors. The name 'Brisby' was whispered about shortly and suddenly everyone was smiling and applauding. Brisby blushed heartily as she was shown to a comfortable seat by a friendlier rat, and her children and Justin sat down beside her.

"Wow, mama, they like you here!" Cynthia noted.  
"They do." Brisby smiled.

Justin rang his glass with a spoon, calling the rats to attention. He cleared his throat and spoke.

"Friends, with the return of one of our friends, I would like to take a moment to recognize the rats and mice that made all of this possible.

To the late Nicodemus, who brought us together."

"To Nicodemus!" Everyone cheered solemnly in remembrance.

"To the late Jonathan Brisby, who gave us our freedom from NIMH."

"To Jonathan!" There was more enthusiasm to this toast.

"And to his not-late-at-all wife, who saved us from both NIMH and Jenner."

"To Mrs. Brisby!" The toast was utterly enthusiastic this time.

"To my mama!" Cynthia piped up, holding her cup of water.

The merriment of that moment could not be described in words, for all but one mouse, present but not seen.

Brisby and everyone else had a hearty meal of cheese, berries and an interesting kind of rich wine. Brisby had to wipe Cynthia's mouth repeatedly as she gulped down some very juicy berries. Brisby kept finding more and more food on her plate before Justin managed to politely shoo her fans away.

"So, how'd back to Thorn Valley?"

"My crow friend Jeremy flew us over. When we arrived we had to lodge in Micoloni."

"You mean the mouse colony? That green lump?"

"Yes. We didn't know where you were, so we stayed there for a while. We were directed here earlier today by an eccentric mouse named Befor. He lives just a few metres from here, have you met him?"

"Not really. So you were in Micoloni?"

"Yes, it's pretty rigid there. Not a bad place though. There are good mice there."

"We wouldn't know." Justin sighed. "We tried to make a few diplomatic visits but we kept getting shooed away at the gate."

"Well, they would be a little suspicious of rats they don't know, I'm sorry."

"I guess so." Justin's eyes suddenly lit up. "I got an idea. You are residing in Micoloni now?"

"Yes, we need to be back by nightfall...why?"

"You'll see." Justin struck a regal pose. "Mrs. Brisby, I appoint you official ambassador of the rats of NIMH!" He said it out loud for everyone to hear.

"Me, Justin?"

"Yes, you. People trust you. If you can show the mice we mean no harm, we may have a fruitful alliance."

"A lot better than the alternative." A grumpy voice reminded. Brisby spun around.

"Mr. Ages!" The children smiled and leapt upon him with arms to hug.

"Chil -OOF! This is not a - could you - this isn't - Oh whatever." Mr. Ages found himself smiling. "It's good to see you too."

Brisby smiled. Then she turned to Justin.

"You sure I can do it?"

"You're perfect for this, sweet lady. Oh, by the way..."

Justin brought out a gold box from his pack. He gave it to Brisby. "Here, this is yours."

Brisby opened it. It was the amulet, the red one with the glowing stone that Nicodemus had given her before he died. She took it in her hand, and seemed to pulse, happy to see her again. The inscription her husband had carved was there as well. Brisby smiled at Justin.

"Oh, thank you." Brisby put it around her neck. Justin smiled.

"Before you go, we have dessert. Strawberry cake with ice cream!"

"Ice cream?" Martin and Cynthia bounded back to their chairs like leapfrogs and Mr. Ages dusted himself off, hiding a smile.

"Haven't changed a bit, none o' you."

-

Nicolas was repeatedly shutting his eyes and opening them again from his vantage point. He kept pushing out what he had seen and replacing it with what was sensible.

The lunch hall was an orgy room, with savage rats splashing blood-red wine that slaves poured into their fang-filled mouths. The rat king, with Brisby at his side with a sinister smile was devouring a leg of bird with substantial blood. Brisby had contented herself with a cheese slice she snatched from a slave's hands.

Tell me about this mouse colony, my eyes. The rat king demanded between bites.

Brisby laughed. It is reasonably defensible, my lord. Your legions may have difficulty.

Faugh! Have we not conquered all of the valleys before us?

Perhaps, but I believe a subtler approach is in order, my lord. Brisby bit into her wine.

What have you to say, wench?

Those fools consider me trustworthy. Perhaps I can trick them into thinking you wish for peace. That would be the best thing you can do.

I am one for warfare, Brisby, I will dance on their bones before I declare peace!

I understand, my lord, but Micoloni is a well-guarded sanctum. The mice there are exceptionally clever and strong. Besides, would it not be more satisfying to have the entire colony intact, all slaves and fields, than reduce it to worthless ruins?

The evil rat king smiled. You are cleverer than I first imaged, Brisby. He stroked her chin and she laughed. If this is successful, you shall be rewarded heartily.

Thank you, my Lord.

The rat king stood up. My soldiers, soon we shall have the great colony Micoloni! We shall have slaves, food and drink aplenty! Make yourselves ready! The rat king sat down amid the savage cheering and placed a blood red amulet around her neck. For luck, my dear. Go and do not fail me.

Nicolas snarled. She would fail in whatever scheme she had, regardless of whether she had a scheme. He knew what he saw. He wasn't surprised; he had seen what he was looking for. And he knew what to do.

Nicolas departed towards Micoloni, his presence and absence unnoticed by the intelligent, decent, and friendly rats he had convinced himself were going to attack Micoloni. He would not let them.

No matter what it took.


	12. Nicolas

Thorn Valley chapter 11  
Nicolas

-

By the time Brisby managed to pry herself away from the rats' goodbyes, it was almost dusk. And when she and her children walked up to Micoloni, it was nightfall, and the stars were starting to come out. Markus was there to open the gate and let them in.

"What took you so long? I didn't think a delivery would take all day."

"It didn't, we ran into some old friends."

Markus held the amulet Brisby had around her neck. "Did they give you this?" He said inquisitively.

"Mm-hmm."

"It looks lovely on you." Markus complemented. Brisby blushed slightly.

"Thank you...um, when can i speak to Louis? It's important."

Markus shrugged. "It'll have to wait until morning, but I can tell him first thing. Now you better get home. I think your children were waiting for you a long time."

"OH!" Brisby dashed home with Martin and Cynthia as fast as her legs could carry her. Markus smiled.

Then he began to ponder. Who were Brisby's friends? Did they have anything to do with...nah...still...

But that was a question for another day. He saw his relief coming and prepared himself for a night of slumber.

-

Brisby returned to find that Mary had been babysitting for the children during her absence. After thanking her and apologizing profusely to Theresa and Timothy for taking so long, Mary had left and Brisby had informed her children that she had found Justin and the others. That brightened them all up.

"Can we go see them, mother?"

"Not until tomorrow I'm afraid. I need to speak to King Louis about it tomorrow morning. Let's all get some rest."

The children, who were very excited for it to be tomorrow as soon as possible, fell asleep rather quickly. Mrs. Brisby, however, didn't go to sleep so easily. She kept hearing voices outside the door, but kept dismissing them to imagination. But they simply did not go away.

Brisby was getting nervous when Martin noticed she was still awake. He never could go to sleep fast.

"Is...is something wrong, mama?" He whispered, careful not to disturb his siblings.

Brisby gulped. "I don't know, I just don't..."

Suddenly the door that covered their home was opened suddenly and a mouse in a brown cap and dark uniform stormed into the house purposefully towards Mrs. Brisby.

She gasped in surprise, and Martin leapt up at the intruder.

"You get out now or -"

He never got to finish the sentence. Two more mice appeared suddenly and they knocked Martin out with a blow to the neck, causing him to fall to the floor unconscious.

"MARTOuummmmmph!" Brisby found her shriek being stifled by a bag thrust over her head by a mouse that had materialized out from behind her. Brisby was forcibly dragged out from her house by the mice in uniform, no-one noticing what had happened, all still sleeping.

-

Brisby found herself in a dark room with a small rock table. Her hands were bound behind her like a prisoner, and she had been made to sit down on a hard stone chair. Hard. The bag was lifted from her head and she could still see nothing, although she could breathe better.

"What...what's going on, who..."

A torch on the table was lit with a fierce flare, and Brisby found herself looking into the eyes of an extremely angry mouse captain with a black patch around his right eye that made his glare jut out all the more.

Brisby recognized him. "Nicolas? What's the meaning of this, what's going on?"

Nicolas snarled horribly. "I think you know exactly what's going on." His face seemed to look more natural with a snarl on it. He leaned on the stone and glowered at Brisby.

Brisby stammered. "N-no I don't..."

Nicolas slapped her hard across the face. It stung like a huge bee had hit it. "Don't lie to me, Brisby..." Nicolas grabbed the amulet around her neck and looked at it and her with disgust. "It's as plain as this."

"What are you talking about, Nicolas, I..."

Nicolas clutched the amulet in his hand like a bug he wanted to squish. "I saw you with those rats, Brisby. I saw everything you did today."

"WHAT?" Brisby was stunned. "How did you..."

"I have my ways, wretch. I saw you with the rat king."

"You mean Just - I don't get it, what...?"

Nicolas grabbed her cape by the neck and dragged her up to his infuriated face. "Don't play stupid with me, Brisby! You're in league with those savages!" Nicolas threw her down forcibly, and Brisby landed on her bound hands hard. She looked up in horror at Nicolas.

"Savages? They're not savages, they're friends, they appointed me ambassador, I need to speak to Louis -"

"The HELL you will! I know what you're trying to do. I saw you and that rat king in his palace, debating on how you should take over Micoloni!"

Absolute anger and defiance replaced Brisby's look of fear. "That's a lie! You didn't see me at -"

Nicolas kicked at her lying form forcibly, breaking something. Then he dragged her up again, face to face.

"YOU DARE QUESTION ME?" Nicolas threw her against the wall, and Brisby fell to the floor like a rag doll.

Brisby slowly got herself back up. She tottered unsteadily as Nicolas came at her again. Brisby barely dodged another hit and didn't dodge the second one.

She screamed and tried to run. "HEEEEEELLLLLPPPPPPP! MARKUS, LOUIS ANYBODY Acagagak..." Brisby doubled over as Nicolas punched her chest and drew her back up to his face. His paws felt as though they would crush her soldiers. "Don't bother; it's just the two of us." He hissed.

"I know what i saw." He growled. His eye seemed to flare with a deadly light. "I saw you, approaching the rats' colony. I saw the king welcome you with open arms, Brisby. I saw you eat with him and talk to him about Micoloni and he commissioned you to play ambassador so he could take over this place!"

"That...that didn't happen, you're crazy, you didn't see -" Brisby croaked in terror.

"I saw what I saw! You miserable traitor, you sold us all out! To think we trusted you!" Nicolas snarled and forced her down again.

Brisby looked back up in terror at Nicolas' eyes. This was a true madmouse. All Befor had was a big smile and a dark sense of humor. But Nicolas...

"I won't let those heathens destroy my colony. That's what they'll do, mouse. And anyone who aids them is my enemy!"

"B-but they're dece-"

Nicolas kicked Brisby in the face. She felt blood in her mouth dripping from her nose. She gurgled slightly.

Nicolas' face became almost benevolent. "Although...I suppose they could just be blackmailing you. What do you owe those creatures? Tell me, Brisby."

"No." Brisby wheezed. "You're insane, Nicolas. I won't..."

Nicolas grabbed her by the neck. "I am NOT insane!" He screamed in Brisby's face.

"Now you listen. I know rats. They are monstrous savages bent on conquest and destruction. They collect slaves and..." Nicolas' face contorted. "It's your children isn't it?"

Brisby's eyes widened. "What do you - "

Nicolas snarled as he forced Brisby down. "Your infernal children. Is the rat king their father? You little worm..."

"No!" Brisby shrieked. "It's not like that, you..."

Nicolas savagely attacked her again, knocking Brisby, bleeding in several places now, onto the floor.

"It is like that. Hurrrrrrrrrr." Nicolas growled horribly.

Then he picked Brisby up again. Her terrified eyes met his murderous gaze.

"Now you listen. Those rats are scum bent on conquest, determined to make Micoloni a slave colony. You tell everyone that, and I can forgive you."

Brisby snapped. "NO! I will not lie for you! You maniac! And you call yourself a defender of mice! Let me go!"

Nicolas snarled again. Then he drove his fist into Brisby, several times. Brisby felt several things bend and break. Then the murderous mouse threw her onto the floor. "Heh. I AM a defender of mice." He smiled, showing all his teeth. "I'll defend them from those heathen rats. There's gonna be a war soon, and I will lead Micoloni to a glorious victory. When that day comes, Mrs. Brisby..." He glowered. "You can be at my side or under my foot! Your choice."

Brisby snapped back. "You monster! You'll attack my friends? Maniac! I won't let you-"

Nicolas snarled. "So be it." He promptly gave Brisby a sharp, painful kick that rolled her off. Brisby tried to get up and was forced down again by Nicolas.

Brisby looked up at him in utter terror. "Don't...don't kill me..." she pleaded.

Nicolas smiled horribly. "I won't kill you. I'll just send you back to where you belong.

With the rats."

Brisby gulped. Nicolas picked her back up.

Brisby got her nerve back. "You won't get away with this..."

Nicolas smirked. "Oh no? Let me tell you something, wretch. If you or any of your rat friends show themselves within sight of Micoloni again..." Nicolas leaned in to her ear.

"...and what I did to you will be nothing compared to what happens to your children, Brisby."

Brisby's eyes opened wide in absolute horror. "No..."

Nicolas picked her up and stuffed her back into the bag, still struggling.

"Don't you touch them, you monster! Nicolas, you will not..." Brisby was silenced by a gag around her mouth as Nicolas heaved the bag onto his shoulder.

It was midnight when Brisby was freed of the bag. She could barely get up and managed to look around. She saw nothing around her but rocks and grass before Nicolas felled her once again.

"Go to your true allegiance, Brisby. And you better not try anything, or your children pay." Nicolas smirked as he walked away.

Brisby could barely get up. No, that wasn't true. She COULDN'T get up, period. She felt like a punching bag and had more bruises and cuts than most mice would receive in their lifetime. She managed to prop herself up on her elbows with an immense amount of effort. She craned her head up, blood pooling from both her nose and her mouth like a broken spout. She hacked once with violent pain, and then gave out a single, hoarse scream.

"!"

Something went twang and she fell down again.

And in the field of Thorn Valley, far away from her children and seemingly without help, she laid down and began to cry.


	13. Lies

Thorn Valley chapter 12  
Lies.

-

Martin got up unsteadily, rubbing his head in pain. Then he looked around.

"Mama? Where are you?" He started running around and awoke his siblings.

"Have you seen Mom? She's gone!"  
"WHAT?"  
"What happened?"

"Some mice came in last night while you was asleep...I blacked out an..."

TATTATATTTATATATTTAA!

The children had grown accustomed to the horn signalling breakfast, but this was different. This sounded more urgent. A crier came into the road between the houses and began shouting.

"ALL MICE, YOUNG AND OLD, ARE TO COME TO THE STUMP! THERE IS SOMETHING OF GRAVE IMPORTANCE TO SPEAK ABOUT! ALL MICE COME TO THE STUMP NOW! "

Teresa looked at Martin."You think we should go?"

"Maybe it has something to do with mom!"

-

Befor roused himself up from a night of sleep. He got up and stretched a nasty suspicion on his mind. Something was not right in the world, he could sense it. He just could.

Befor wasn't his usual cheerful self this morning. Something was preying on his mind badly...He opened the curtain to his window and saw it.

Mrs. Brisby. Or what was left of her. She had been attacked and deposited in front of his own house sometime last night. He didn't see anyone last night...he had been asleep...but he knew who had done this. Nevertheless, he couldn't believe it.

"No..."

-

The children inconspicuously made their way to the stump by following the crowd, always keeping a wary eye out for their mother through furtive glances here and there. They were getting very worried.

They eventually arrived at the stump and walked in carefully. Every mouse in Micoloni was there. The room was buzzing, many mice complaining about being awoken so early and others chattering about what was so important.

Nicolas, the guard mouse with the black patch around his eye, stood up in the centre of the room, calling all mice to attention very quickly. King Louis was there, in a balcony floor, rubbing his neck constantly. A few mice recognized him and buzzed more before Nicolas silenced them.

The mouse looked grand and solemn, and he turned to the mice with a deadly serious look.

"Friends, there is something you must know."

-

Befor had long ago been charged with never leaving his new house under any circumstances, but he was in no mood to obey Nicolas' demands anymore. He ran out of the house towards the limp form of Brisby.

She looked like a doll someone whaled upon and discarded casually. She was sleeping...she must have lost consciousness during the night. There was a tiny river of blood dripping form her bruised nose, and her hands were bruised all round the sides.

"Unbelievable..." Befor babbled, before drawing his paws suddenly to the sides of his mouth, hiding his scars. How could he smile at a time like this?

Befor turned her over gingerly. She moaned, still not fully conscious. There were bruises all over her frail body that looked as if they wouldn't heal for a long time. He gulped. What to do?

Then he saw the red amulet around her neck. Recognizing it, he picked it up. Turning it around in his hands briefly, he turned to the distance and held it up. He knew what to do.

-

"We are not alone in this valley. Rats have come."

Nicolas' words caused a buzz of worry among the mice. Rats? In their valley?

Martin and Cynthia were puzzled. Was that was this was all about? Did mother already tell them? They were going to speak up, but something in Nicolas' eyes told them not to.

"Rats, my friends. Savage creatures. Warlords. They have come to take over our proud colony, destroy us all, our wives, our children, and our livelihood."

Martin's head snapped up. WHAT? Those weren't the rats of NIMH, he didn't mean those...did he?

"How do you know?" A bolder mouse spoke up.

Nicolas turned on him with a snarl. "I've seen them. I went undercover to their lair. They were conspiring to conquer Micoloni. I heard it myself. Saw it all. I know what they plan, and it is imperative that we strike first, or our children will suffer under these monsters."

-

Two of the 'monsters' that Nicolas spoke about were on morning guard over the rat colony. They looked impassively at the distance.

"So, Brutus, not the best sunrise, huh?"

Brutus shrugged.

"Huh. You know, I really wish you could talk more...oh whatever. Doesn't look like there's anything to report...wait a minute..."

The young guard leaned out over the railing. There was another light in the distance, not the sun. It seemed brighter and fiercer. A beacon.

"That's unusual...wait, I've seen that before..." He recalled the last night they had spent at the Farm. Nicodemus' stone had been glowing that exact same shade when Jonathan's wife was being threatened by Jenner...And didn't Justin return the stone to her last night?

"Something's wrong..." He heard his companion mutter. The young guard turned to Brutus. "Yeah, looks like. You check it out, I'll inform Justin. Something's going on, all right."

The two guards bounded off to their respective duties, some unknown dread speeding their movement without them fully understanding.

-

"We are being threatened. This is no jest, my friends. I have seen the heathens with my own two eyes. They plan to destroy and enslave us!" Nicolas was delivering his lines with vigour, and many of the mice were panicking.

Louis spoke up. "What...what makes you say that? We've had no threats from anything for months, we..."

"They were watching us, gauging our strength, building themselves up for war...and we will have war eventually. We must prepare."

There was general nodding and gulping, but then another mouse spoke up.

"How could they be watching us? We haven't even SEEN a rat!"

"We had a spy among us." A note of disgust had entered Nicolas' voice.

"Brisby."

There was a dead silence, then a clamour.

"WHAT?"  
"You gotta be kidding!"  
"The widow?"  
"Why would she..."  
"You must be joking!"  
"Yer outta yer mind!"

"SILENCE!" Nicolas boomed the meeting into silence again with a single word.

"I know what I saw! Brisby was allied with those creatures from the start! I saw her with the rat king, I saw her conspiring, I saw her! She betrayed us, left us for those creatures! Why do you think she isn't here today?"

-

Justin got up and walked over to the entranceway. Alex was a smart mouse for a junior guard; he didn't take much stock in gut feelings and empty suspicions. If he was worried, there was a probably good reason for it. Justin was troubled.

A red beacon from Brisby's amulet? What did it mean? And why was he worried when he didn't know what was going on?

The gate opened behind him. Brutus had returned. Justin turned around to speak to his best guard.

"Brutus, have you found out wha - "

Justin gasped. In Brutus' huge arms was the limp body of Mrs. Brisby. She looked like she had been beaten for the sake of beating...there were bruises and cuts everywhere, and she was drooling a trickle of blood...

"Oh my God..."

"GET A DOCTOR! WHERE'S FRANK? WE NEED A DOCTOR!"

-

What Nicolas had said caused Martin to snap.

"YOU DIRTY ROTTEN LIAR!" He screamed at the mouse.

Everyone turned to Brisby's son.

"MOTHER WOULDN'T DO THAT! YOU LIAR! SHE WAS KIDNAPPED! DID YOU DO IT? YOU LIAR! WHAT DID YOU DO?"

Nicolas barked orders to a guard. "Take him out, he's hysterical!"

"YOU LIAR! LIAR!" Martin found himself dragged out with his siblings from the stump.

Nicolas became aware of a great deal of muttering and sideways glances at him. He quickly regained the initiative.

"No matter! These rats are very real! They plan to destroy us all! Have I lied to you yet? We cannot afford to delay! We must make preparations! Or we shall be destroyed and enslaved, all of us, our wives, children and parents! We must prepare!"

-

Martin and his brethren were deposited, sobbing and hysterical, in a small room away from the group. The guard locked the door behind him and left the children alone.

"What's gonna happen?"  
"I don't know...liar, he must've...mommy..." Martin buried his face in his hands. Timothy, Cynthia and Teresa did likewise, scared and alone.


	14. Mother Jones

Thorn Valley Chapter 13  
Mother Jones.

-

Mary simply could not believe what Nicolas had said about Brisby. She doubted she was alone in the category, but she could tell from the way that everyone was talking about the rats that they were too concerned with what else Nicolas had said to dwell on that too long.

All that mattered right now was the kids. Wherever Brisby was and whatever truth was in what Nicolas had said, they were alone. What was gonna happen to them? She couldn't rest until she was sure her friend's children would be alright.

Eventually, she opted to take things into her own paws. As soon as the panicked crowd had left, she stormed back into the stump and looked for whoever was in charge.

She saw Louis. Walking over to him, she made her statement.

"Louis, I want Brisby's children in my custody fer right now."

"Um...of course. I was just going to tell you that they are, here." Louis handed her a note with some official writing on it.

Mary was puzzled. "Ya knew I was gonna..."

"Not really...I knew you'd be the best choice to take care of those children, so I went ahead and notarized it. Nicolas would probably shove them into some godforsaken...I can't think about it."

"Me neither." Mother Jones looked at Louis carefully. This was hardly the tyrant Nicolas had always described. He was small, clever and seemed to be easily intimidated. Mary spoke again.

"Ya really believe all that garbage he said?"

"No, but I don't think it matters what i think." Louis shrugged. He rubbed his covered neck again. "Just...keep the kids safe." Louis walked away, worried.

Mary walked towards where the guard had left the children.

-

It didn't take much on Mother Jones' part to make the guard leave. With or without a king's orders, her tall frame and heavy muscles were enough to motivate the guard into a speedy exit. Mary walked into the room.

It was a picture of dejection. All the children were looking down at the floor and barely noticed her entrance. She spoke.

"Hey."

Timothy looked up, but drooped back down again.

Mary sighed. "Lissen, Louis commissioned me t' take care of ya."

"Till momma comes back?" Cynthia weakly squeaked. Mary sighed again.

"Hopefully. I won't lie t' you, I dunno when we'll see 'er again or if we even will. Right now, I've all ya got. 'K? This ain't nice but..."

Martin scowled and turned around. Mother Jones sighed.

"It's either me or Nicolas, kids. Knowin' him, he'll be..."

Teresa sighed. "C'mon." The Brisby children reluctantly followed their new foster mother.

-

Mother Jones' house was larger than the Brisby's and a lot more spartan. There were only the necessities for a large group of people. There were two other children there, a white mouse with bright eyes, and a black mouse.

"Afte, Alicia, we got some new tenants fer a while." Mother Jones showed them the children. Alicia, the black mouse, smiled in a friendly way that was unreciprocated. Afte, the white mouse, turned to his foster mother.

"Brisby's kids?"

"Yeah. And don't say nuthin', 'K? These kids've been through enough. Got it Afte?"

"Yes, Mother Jones." Afte shrugged. Normally he would've said something about Jone's double negatives and made a joke, but he opted not to this time.

Martin didn't even acknowledge the two others, simply storming off into a corner to sulk. Teresa sighed and sat at the table. Cynthia turned to Alicia, but didn't say anything. Timothy just stared at the floor.

Mary shrugged. "I'll just go get yer beds ready, K?" and walked out of the uncomfortable room.

There was an icy silence that seemed to dampen everything down before Afte spoke up.

"What do you call a blind dinosaur?" he asked Timmy.

Timmy didn't respond.

"Doyouthinkhesaurus."

Still no response.

"C'mon, smile kiddo." Afte tapped Timothy's shoulder. Timothy sighed and walked away. Afte sighed himself when someone came and knocked at the door.

Alicia walked over to where Mother Jones had wandered off to. "Mother Jones, there's someone at the door!"

"A'ight." Mary strode out towards the door to see who was knocking.

It was Nicolas.

"Good morning, Mother Jones."  
"It was good, Nicolas."

At Nicolas' name and voice, Martin leapt up and would've attacked the mouse had a quick-thinking Afte and Teresa not stopped him.

"I'm aware the Brisby children are here?"  
"Yeah. And they ain't goin' nowhere."  
"Jones, I don't think you understand the seriousness of the situation..."  
"Oh, I understand it perfectly. Now scram."

Nicolas was taken aback.

"Jones, I am taking those children into my custody..."  
"NO. YOU'RE. NOT."  
"Mary, don't try to..."  
"Actually, bucko, I've got higher orders. Louis himself. The kids are in MY custody. Kapeesh?"  
"Louis? I don't think you get it, Jones. Those children are to be..."  
"An' one other thing, Nicolas?"

CRACK! Mother Jones let loose a sucker punch that sent Nicolas flying away from the door. Nicolas looked up in spite at Mary.

"Louis or no Louis, I ain't letting you within ten feet of those children. You got that?"

Nicolas snarled.

"I said, Y' got that?"

Nicolas growled. "You'll pay for this..." before walking off in a huff. This wasn't supposed to happen. Now what?

Mary Jones shut the door and turned to the children, now all staring at her and her fist. She smiled. "Only way he unnerstands things, it seems." she shrugged.

Cynthia, Teresa, Timothy and even Martin had a lot more respect for their foster mother now. Maybe they were safe...but Martin still looked discontent. Mary caught that before she began preparing the lunch.

-

The day passed in a daze for the inhabitants of the house. Afte had repeatedly tried to make the Brisby's laugh at his jokes, but he only got a few smiles, never more. None of them left the house. Martin was planning something, and when the time came to clean up after lunch, he got his siblings together in their new bedroom and announced.

"We gotta get to the rats."

"What?"

"Me and Cynth' know the way, we can escape at nightfall. That's gotta be where mother is!"

"You think she actually left us?"

"I dunno, but she isn't here. We gotta find her, we gotta leave tonight!"

The acoustics in the house were impressive. Mother Jones heard every word. She knew that plan was doomed. With this rat paranoia going on, the night guard outside the colony would be tripled. Even the guards that usually patrolled the streets had been moved outside. They would be caught before they made it out of Micoloni, and that would only make things worse...

Now, Mother Jones knew that she could just stop them outside the door or confront them right away. But she had a better idea. She waited until that night, when the children were bedding down, that she put it into action.

It was a simple and effective plan. She began humming a song that her husband had taught her a long time ago. The children's eyelids all grew heavy and they were soon all falling into a peaceful, deep sleep. Even Martin who had resolved to feign sleep and stay awake was snoring, and Jones took the liberty of removing the ropes he had made.

She truly had their best interests at heart. They would never make it out, no matter what their escape plan was. Besides, they needed to rest. Still, what to do?

Mother Jones retired to the back of the house, in a small grassy yard hidden from the street. She always went there when she needed to think. What to do?

One of her foster children, but not the Brisby's, hadn't fallen asleep. Afte crept up to the window facing the yard where Mother Jones was. He closed his eyes, said a few words, and when he opened them, his left eye was glowing an orange color.

-

"Good boy." Befor sighed as he looked at Mother Jones through his son's eye. He already had a plan.


	15. Tunnels

Thorn Valley chapter 14

Tunnels

Befor didn't seem to be his chipper self anymore. He seemed to have a grim look, and there was an icy seriousness in his eye. Even his smile was absent...he had bandaged the sides of his mouth so no-one could see him smile. How could he smile at a time like this?

There were things to do before he would allow himself to smile again. He sent his son a message silently.

Mother Jones thought she heard a slight rumble under her feet. She stood up and immediately fell down farther than she had risen. She landed with a thump at the sensation.

She was shocked, yes, but not badly hurt. Her tail was a little sore, but she had been through worse. A lot worse. She stood back up quickly as if nothing had happened and looked around.

There was dirt and gravel all around her, with the exception of just above her head, where she had fallen into a...tunnel? Yes, it was a tunnel. The walls stretched into the distance, in both directions. Mary looked around, bewildered. She managed to look up.

She could see her window. Afte had been watching her...or had he done more? Then Mary Jones noticed something. His left eye was glowing.

Befor's son mouthed silently, but somehow she understood everything. Sorry, Mary, but there's something you NEED to see. Then Afte pointed in the direction that the tunnel seemed to be going.

Mary looked into the tunnel. It seemed relatively well-lit...it had been built to have sunlight or moonlight filter into it. It stretched off into the distance, and Mary was curious as to why Befor needed her to go there.

She knew Befor, though. Better than most of the other mice. Mary walked off towards whatever she needed to see.

The distance was considerable, but she didn't tire. It all seemed to pass in a blur. She was growing ever more curious as to what Befor thought she needed to see when she saw something.

Light was filtering though the top crack that definately wasn't moonlight. Far too bright.

"Hullo..." Mary muttered as she approached this new thing.

She didn't even need to go on tiptoes to look up into the crack. She saw what looked like an unusually flat stone, and then she registered a door and the strange lights that were casting the eerie glow. It was definately a settlement. Was this...

The she caught sight of a creature pacing the grounds. A mouse? No...it was too tall, and the face was too angular...

Mary gulped. A rat! This was the rat settlement...

Wait a minute. She got over her momentary panic and looked at the place closely. It didn't even remotely resemble Nicolas' descriptions. No skulls, no torches, no evil-looking warriors...in fact, it seemed more respectable than Micoloni.

Mary was now even more intrigued...then she noticed the tunnel continued for some more distance. She walked along it, becoming aware that it was taking her into the rat colony.

"So this is how Nic found it out...But this don't look like what he said..." she mulled as she passed a clean dining room that had been vacant for some time...it had been nightfall for almost an hour now. She walked by corridors conspicuously free of blood and skulls and savages...or any living thing. She heard the snores of rat women and children as they dreamt dreams like mice. Just like mice.

More and more questions were coming to Mary's mind regarding Nicolas' tales and Brisby...

Then she came to a place where the light shone significantly brighter. She was puzzled as to why the tunnel had gone so deep into the den...in fact, this part seemed recent. Maybe he had something to do with that as well...

She looked into the room that was lit. There were two rats there. A dark-colored one was sitting in a comfortable chair, while a light brown one was relentlessly pacing in front of a wooden door. Mary got a good look at their faces. They looked like good, sincere creatures...the brown one seemed nicest. You had difficulty telling from the expression on his face.

The dark one sighed. "Justin, that pacing won't do anything but make you tired."

"Well what's taking so long? What are they doing in there?" The brown one, Justin, seemed very agitated, and Mary began to wonder what was behind that door. "I mean, did you see her?"

"Yes, I saw her!" This was clearly not the first time Justin had brought this up. "I know you're upset. So am I. She's a good creature, I'm just as concerned as you are!" The dark one sighed. "There's nothing we can do right now. Leave it to Frank and Ages. They're the doctors."

"But what happened to her?"

"Justin, Mrs. Brisby just regained consciousness 10 minutes ago. She telling Frank and Ages what happened, and they'll tell us."

Mary jumped. Brisby! So here she was...what was going on? And why was this rat so concerned?

Wait...Justin? Brisby mentioned him on the day they had met...she had been looking for friends. Actually he's a...she was almost going to tell them. No spy would be that trusting...maybe they simply weren't how Nicolas made them out to be. And what evil king would be so genuinely concerned for her well-being? This was all against what Nicolas had said...

The door opened, and Justin spun to see a grey rat and an even greyer mouse.

"How is she?" Justin had been dying to ask that question for hours.

Frank began in a tactful monotone. "Well, she had multiple bruises and cuts... nothing life-threatening. She has a black eye and a broken nose, should be fixed with the right medicine, and her leg is dislocated. Nothing she won't heal from if she rests. I'm more concerned about the psychological damage."

The dark mouse looked puzzled. "Psychological? What do you mean?"

Frank lived up to his name. "Justin, Alexis, Brisby did not trip. She was beaten."

"WHAT?" Mary, Justin and Alexis all exclaimed at the top of their shocked voices.

Justin grabbed Frank by his robe. "Why? Why would somebody do that?"

Frank sighed. "I don't know how, but somehow a mouse from Micoloni saw Brisby here. She said his name was Nicolas. The look on her face when she said his name...ohboy. Anyway, this 'Nicolas' attacked her, calling her a traitor and a spy for the 'savage rats'. How much he actually saw is beyond me."

The news hit Justin like a sledgehammer, and he sat down without regarding if there was a chair there and not caring. Alexis suddenly became very angry.

"A Traitor to what? The mice from Micoloni? The mouse colony? They attack an ambassador, a widow mouse, toss her into the woods and have the nerve to call US savages? We should burn that place to the ground, show 'em how savage we are!"

Frank tried to hold Alexis down. "Now, now. Don't overreact, this..."

"Overreact? If they could do something like this to someone like her, how long do you think it'll be before they come after our wives and children? Those wretched little maniacs should PAY for this!"

Justin didn't say anything, just kept shaking his head in horror. Frank became a little angrier.

"Not 'they', him! It wasn't the mice of Micoloni, it was just some lunatic named Nicolas! None of the mice there had anything to do with this, Brisby said so herself. That would be like condemning all of us for Jenner!"

"Then we should get HIM! We should go to that infernal colony and demand his head on a plate! We offer peace and then they..."

"ALEXIS!" Frank grabbed the furious Alexis and brought him up to his equally frustrated face. "We can't do that. Nicolas, he's a captain there, lot of influence. He's probably feeding those mice lies about us and Brisby. Besides, he threatened Brisby's children. Her Children, if she or any of us appear there! Do you want to do that to her?"

That silenced Alexis, and in the silence another sound became clear. Weeping. Whoever was behind the door was crying, and they knew who it was.

"Brisby..." Justin whimpered.

"Odd, the door should be soundproof..." Frank muttered. The grey mouse began shoving them out.

"Well, if we can hear her she can hear us. I think we should leave." He glared at Alexis as he spoke. Alexis groaned and they exited.

Mary shook her head in shock, but there was no changing what she had just saw and heard. This changed everything. She saw it now. Nicolas was a psychotic lunatic...he had been lying all along about everything. The rats weren't savages, and they hadn't been thinking of conquest at all...Brisby had never...

Brisby...she could still hear her weeping and noticed the tunnel led her into the room.

Mary gulped. There was Brisby, in a large bed, with more bandages and bruises that Mary bothered to count. She looked like a rag doll that someone had beat up for the sake of beating up something. Her eye had been blacked out, and both of them were crying into her pillow.

"I'm...I'm so sorry Jonathan...I failed, I...I couldn't...the children...I don't...Oh Jonathan, forgive me I...I'm so sorry, I...Help..."

That was all Mary could stand to see. "Brisby!" She whispered softly, hoping not to alert anyone in earshot.

Brisby looked up from her pillow. She thought she heard something, her name...not, it couldn't be. She started crying again.

"Brisby!"

"Wha - " There it was again, someone in the room calling her name. "Who's there?"

"Brisby, down here!"

Brisby looked around bewildered before her eyes settled on the large crack running against the wall. Someone waved.

"Brisby, it's me, Mary!"

"Mary?" Brisby, temporarily forgetting her broken leg leapt out of bed and was quickly reminded of it. She stumbled down and had to slide herself using her arms to reach Mary. "Mary, what are you doing here, how'd you get here?"

Mary responded. "A tunnel. Even money says this is how Nicolas saw you."

At Nicolas name, Brisby's face turned furious. "Nicolas! That goddamned maniac, he did this to me, he..."

"I know, Brisby, I heard!" Mary did her best to calm her down. "I know what happened, I know what Nicolas did."

Brisby turned back to Mary. "B-but why are you here?"

"A...friend told me where to find you...look, I need to tell you something. It's yer kids..."

"What? What about them? What did Nicolas..."

"Nicolas didn't do nothin' to them! And he ain't gonna." Mary looked Brisby straight in the eye. "The kids are in my care, y'hear? I'm a foster mother, remember? I'm gonna take care of them. Nicolas isn't gonna come near them. You got my word."

Brisby was stock still for a moment, then started to cry again. "You...you promise? If Nicolas...if he..."

"He ain't gonna, 'K? I promise. I know how to get here. Soon as i can I'll bring the kids here. OK?"

A sudden hope came to Brisby. "Mary, I..."

Mary grabbed her paw. "Y' got my word. I swear. An' I don't go back on my word, Y'hear."

Brisby found herself smiling. "Yes, I hear."

"Y' just rest Ok? Y' need it. The children will be fine."

"Thank you so much Mary..."

"What are friends fer?" Mary smiled. "I better get back to 'em."

"Yes, you should. I'll um...I'll explain everything later..."

"When I'm back wit' the kids, a'ight?" Mary smiled. "G'night, Mrs. Brisby. Y' get some sleep now."

Brisby smiled and began to pull herself back towards the bed. Mary turned and jogged back to her home. Mary Jones didn't break her promises.

Befor saw it all. Things were going well again.

Befor ripped the cloth from his face and allowed himself to smile again, too.


	16. Memories

Thorn Valley chapter 15  
Memories

Mother Jones rose up out of her bed gracefully. She had returned from her little scouting trip several hours ago, making sure to cover up the hole that led to her connection with Brisby. She yawned, and checked the time. That's odd, they were usually awakened earlier. Mary shrugged. They must've laid the announcer off in this 'crisis'…

Mary growled. Next time she saw Nicolas again...

She was in the middle of that thought when she arrived in the kitchen. The only mouse there was Afte, with his bright eyes and smile.

"How are you, Madame?" He greeted. Afte's pet project was to refer to everyone by everything but their actual name.

"Ask yer father." Mary retorted, a small glare cast at Afte. Even Afte withered under it.

"Sorry..."

"Don't be. I needed t' see that." Mary's expression softened and she looked around. "Where's the others?"

Afte chuckled. "Considering pop's little sleeping spell, they'll be out like lights until it's past noon." Afte shrugged. "Should we just smuggle them in now?" Afte always seemed to know everything that was going on. He got that from his father.

"Nah, think they should be awake fer the reunion. Besides, I think we can wait a bit. Still, we best keep our eyes open."

Afte laughed aloud and turned to the door. Eyes. He had got that from his father as well.

-

A long ways away, a brown rat was sitting in a secluded side of a dining table with an untouched portion of food and a half-empty cup. Justin kept looking down at his food and the drink, not making any moves towards either. He just kept his sad face pointed towards the table with no real interest in anything.

His sister saw him. After shooing her children away with promises of cake and cheese pizza at another side of the dining hall, she made her way beside Justin. She sat down and tried to get his attention.

"Hey."

Justin didn't respond, or at least not in any way his sister could see. She tried again.

"Alexis told me about what happened to Mrs. Brisby." She could always say what needed to be said. "I'm sorry."

Justin looked up sadly. "Yeah." He turned back towards his food. "So am I."

His sister looked puzzled. "Justin, what is it?"

No response. This was hardly the cheerful rat she knew.

"You know, it was just some maniac. You didn't do anything, you couldn't have."

"I DID, sis. That maniac hurt her because I welcomed her."

"Justin, stop it! This isn't healthy! It's not your fault and you KNOW it!"

Justin looked stunned for a moment, and then sighed. "I, I guess I...It's just that I keep going back to the day when I first heard about her..."

Jonathan was very late, and the room was a little anxious. Justin, Nicodemus, Mr. Ages and Jenner had all been present, and they were all very tense.

"Where is he? It's not like him to be late." Justin had noted.  
"Jonathan can handle himself. He's alright, I know." Nicodemus had spoken.  
"Easy for you to say."  
"Those stinking humans, They must've killed him or..."  
"Jenner, you're not helping."  
"Well where do you think he is?"

"Right here." Jonathan walked into the room while they were arguing. He had several bandages rather sloppily wrapped around his arm. Justin saw them and several cuts on his fur.

"What happened, Jonathan?" Justin asked.

"I was looking around the rosebush at the farmhouse like you told me to when a huge cat appeared. Nasty creature, one dead eye. He chased me into the field, and I would be dead if the farmer hadn't stopped him. I guess Fitzgibbon didn't see me." Jonathan sat down, rubbing his wounds.

Mr. Ages looked at his bandages curiously. "That doesn't look like Frank's work."

Jonathan shrugged. "It isn't. A local mouse found me and bandaged me up. Not a great job, but it serves it's purpose, I suppose." Jonathan's eyes gave a faraway look, and he smiled slightly.

Nicodemus smiled, his ancient eyes twinkling. "Is she the reason you're an hour late."

"Yes she-" Jonathan snapped to attention. "How did you know it was a her? A She?"

"You're eyes gave it away." Justin jested. Nicodemus looked at Jonathan with a playful seriousness in his eyes.

"A local...perhaps she can tell us about our temporary home. Why don't you speak to her more after you've recovered a little?"

"I'd love to!" Jonathan stopped and blushed a little at how eager he was to accept. Jenner seemed a little less pleased.

"You sure this is a good idea, Nicodemus? She's not from NIMH, she doesn't know us, how do you think she'll react?"

That struck Jonathan, but he didn't show it. Nicodemus responded.

"Jonathan is a good judge of character, Jenner, much better than you. What do you think, Jonathan?"

"Well...I don't know, I just met her..."

"Well, you'll need to know more if you'll be able to make a decision." Nicodemus got himself up. "Is there anything else to say? No? Then let us go."

Justin looked at Jonathan. He was clearly happy to be able to see this mouse again, but there was a strange fear in his eyes...

Justin didn't get an explanation for that strange look until several months after the meeting. By then Jonathan had learned quite a bit about the farm, the neighbours, the cat, the mouse's favourite color, her family life, Moving day, her home...In all honesty, Justin could almost see it coming. It came when Jonathan asked to speak with Justin in private and took him aside to talk.

"What is it, Jonathan?" Justin asked.

Jonathan looked like he wouldn't talk for a moment, then he spilled it.

"I love her, I wanna spend the rest of my life with her, I need to..."

Justin gulped, and then smiled again. "Is that what this is about? If she's that important to you, why don't you just marry her?"

"That's not the point...I..." Jonathan sighed in shame. "I haven't told her. About any of this. About NIMH, or you, or the plan, or..."

"What?" Justin was concerned now.

"As far as she knows, I'm just a mouse come down from the city and looking to settle down. She's the sweetest, simplest soul I know. I love her, I want to be with her, but...I'm not sure if i should tell her about all this. I don't want to drag her into something this... I don't know if she can accept what I really am, what's here, what happened, what..."

"You shouldn't stress yourself like this, Jonathan."

The mouse and the rat jumped at the silent newcomer, but found to their relief it was only Nicodemus.

"I apologize. I couldn't help but overhear."

Jonathan sighed. "What do you think I should do?"

"Do you love her?"

"Yes...yes, that's the clearest I've felt ever since..."

"Then marry her. It is as simple as that."

Jonathan was silent for a moment, then her spoke up. "But...she's gonna find out I'm not normal eventually, and what about when we need to move?"

"When the time is ready, you'll be able to tell her. Now, go. You've done and risked so much for us, and now it's time you were happy yourself."

Jonathan gulped, and then smiled again. "Alright...I just hope I'm not making a mistake. I don't want to have her dragged into something involving NIMH... but I guess I'll tell her everything when the time is right."

Justin chuckled at the memory. "Then I heard all about the marriage, their kids, one by one, and their lives in the cinderblock. He seemed so upbeat, but there was always this nagging feeling that he was keeping a secret from her.

"He came to a decision one day… that when he saw his wife next, he would tell her everything, come what may. I heard him make that vow myself...

"But he never got a chance to. That was the last night he was on Dragon duty."

Justin's sister sighed sympathetically. Justin drank out of his cup.

"He was just so terrified of her getting hurt by our connection to NIMH. He didn't want to involve her...

And now she's gotten hurt because of us. It's just so insane, i..."

His sister patted his shoulder, calming him down. "You know, neither Jonathan nor his wife would want you to beat yourself up like this."

"I guess so, but...I don't know what to do."

The female rat thought for a bit, then remembered something. "You know that red amulet?"

"Yes...Jonathan had found it, and he was hoping to give it as a gift to his wife when he told her about everything..." Justin suddenly made a realization. "She didn't have it when she arrived."

"No... Maybe you could go look for it?"

"But Brutus was the one who..."

"So get him to tell you where he saw her. He's got other duties...and you really need something to do."

Justin thought for a moment, and then got up. "Good idea. I'll be back soon." He started to walk off, then stopped and turned. "And sis?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

-

Nicolas had no reason to be thankful, none that came to his mind as he ate his appointed meal.

Oh sure, it was all going as planned. The mice were preparing for war, making spears and staves and arrows...the arrows were best, a distant attack was needed to be safe. Nicolas would lead them all to victory against the savage heathens that threatened them, and he would be a hero.

But he could sense things were amiss. He kept seeing funny looks from the citizens of Micoloni, and the whispers met his ears. They were about that mouse in red, Brisby.

He knew Brisby was going to threaten his plan. He thought he could get her out of the way, and keep her quiet so her children stayed safe.

But he realized that few mice had actually believed him about Brisby's treachery, and now they were beginning to doubt him and his word. He had tried to delay any problems by busying the mice and motivating them with his warnings of what the rats would do to them, but his speeches didn't have the impact he had hoped for.

What was he going to do? He would have to act fast, or he'd lose control of the mice before long...

"Did you hear what King Louis is planning?"

Nicolas' ears suddenly became alert, and he turned to the conversation he had overheard. They didn't notice him, and continued.

"Yes, I heard he's planning on sending an ambassador to try and negotiate a peace without any bloodshed."

"You think it's a good idea?"

"I think anything that keeps war out of the question is a good idea. I don't want to have my son killed, or myself for that matter."

"But what if the rats are as bad as Nicolas says?"

"IF what Nicolas says is true. But I've got a funny feeling. That talk about Brisby? My son was trying to court her, and from what I saw and heard, she would never betray us, and she certainly wasn't the Jezebel Nicolas made her out to be. And what mother would abandon her children? Hank, I'm really beginning to wonder about our captain."

Nicolas had heard enough. He got up and walked out, sending a message to his viceroy to bring his elite to a secret place. If Louis went through with this, and if the murmurs circulating got any more damning, his plan was as good as dead.

He had to act fast.


	17. Coup

Thorn Valley chapter 16  
Coup

-

Louis, the king of Micoloni, was in his study. It was a simple study, nothing showy or proud. He spent most of his time there, He was considering who would make the best emissary to the rats...he wanted to avoid conflict. Besides, there was something amiss with Nicolas' claims. It was all based on his word... Louis had settled on Markus when he heard a knock at his door.

"Who is it?"

"It's Nicolas! Open up, it's important."

"Umm...just a moment..."

Nicolas couldn't wait a moment. The door to Louis' study was suddenly smashed open and Nicolas and several armed accolades strode in with angry purpose.

"Nicolas! What is this?" Louis demanded after he had regained from the shock.

Nicolas had his sword, a shiny metal thing. He looked especially threatening with his cloak. "I'll tell you, Louis. I want to know about this rumoured emissary."

"That's it? The emissary I'm sending?"

"Yes. The mouse that you'll send to his death by the heathen rats!"

"What? What makes you think that...?" Louis' face gained a contorted look. "And why are you against it? If anything is possible that can prevent any bloodshed, I..."

"There is NOTHING possible, Louis! We must prepare for war!"

"What makes you so sure?"

"I saw them! Would I lie, Louis?"

"Yes, I think you would. This entire campaign is based on your word. Nothing else! And I might add you have a history of misinformation tactics. I'm not going to war until I know what you say is true! And the only way to do it is to - "

Louis was suddenly bowled over in the middle of his bravest speech by Nicolas' fist. Nothing could've prepared him for it.

"Enough! I've heard enough. Those rats are preparing to attack us. I won't let your delays destroy us!"

"Delays? What are you...?"

"Quiet!" Nicolas dealt Louis a powerful blow. "You're incapable of handling this. I'm taking over, Louis! I should've done it a long time ago! Carry him to the cells." He motioned to his friends. They knew better than to disobey and picked Louis up.

Realization struck Louis. "THAT'S what all this is about! Your power? You maniac! Did you do this to Bris -" Louis was silenced by another blow.

"Take him there now! He won't trouble us anymore." Nicolas snarled as his guards left. Louis was dragged, half-conscious from the blows he had received from his power-mad captain of the guard.

Nicolas looked around the room. This place would look much better when he was finished with it. Nicolas smiled. But that could wait. Now it was time to draw up battle plans. The battle that he would lead the mice of Micoloni into a glorious victory.

All who could interfere were gone. Brisby, Louis and...

A sudden thought struck Nicolas. Befor! The crazed advisor mouse that he had banished! Could he interfere? Perhaps...he had somehow saved Louis after his banishment...and come to think of it, his house was close to the rat colony. Maybe he could make that infernal ex-advisor see sense, otherwise...

Nicolas turned at the sound of the door opening. "Louis is locked up, sir. What do we do now?"

"I'm going to visit a friend and ask his advice. Perhaps he will see sense and help. In the meantime, keep things quiet. We will tell all soon enough." Nicolas snarled at the guard. "Keep silent or else."

"Y-yes sir." The guard wasted no time in excusing himself.

-

Martin finally got his groggy eyes open. Had he been sleeping the entire time? He chastised himself. That was stupid! He could see daylight coming in through the window, and he was missing his ropes.

Arrgh! Now he would have to wait until next sunset! Martin saw his siblings wake up as well.

"Wha...what happened?" Timothy mumbled.

"I'll tell you what happened! We all fell asleep!" Martin snapped, at himself as much as Timothy!"

"That was a pretty song..." Cynthia mumbled.

"Ugh...well, we'll have to try again tonight. Listen, we should know what to do beforehand."

The Brisby children all crept up closer.

"Listen. Mother Jones' song made us all fall asleep. Let's get something to stuff our ears with. Then tonight, I'll get some more rope. We can crawl out the window and sneak out of the gates! We can get to Mother if we just run!"

"That wouldn't be a good idea."

Martin gasped at the voice behind him and saw a stern-looking Mother Jones staring at him. Martin stammered. "Um...well...I didn't mean, we're not gonna..."

"Ye'd never make it outta the gates. Nicolas has doubled the guards. You'd be caught before you got five feet away from Micoloni."

Martin blushed and the children's heads all fell. Hopeless. Suddenly Mary's expression changed. She smiled confidentially.

"I got a better idea to get t' yer mother."

Everyone's head, including Martins, suddenly shot up and looked at Mother Jones's eyes. She was serious.


	18. Two visitors

Thorn Valley chapter 17  
Two visitors

-

Justin looked around him, searching for the precious red amulet that Brisby had dropped when she got attacked. That amulet had somehow saved her, but she didn't have it on her when Brutus brought her in. Justin thought of the wounded widow back at the colony, and searched even more earnestly.

Brutus had pointed out the direction the amulet, and he also described (as best he could) a landmark that he saw Brisby lying by. Justin had gone out and watched the ground for a telltale red or gold glimmer. He hadn't seen one.

Justin arrived at the 'landmark'. A dilapidated moss-grown thing that had a window and a door. He guessed that someone lived there, but didn't give much thought to it, keeping his eyes on the ground. He walked about and searched for the amulet.

He didn't see it.

"I guess I should cough and let you know I'm here..."

Justin whirled around, paw on the hilt of his sword. He saw the strangest looking white mouse. He had random, pointless tattoos all over his skinny body, and his eye glowed in a way that reminded Justin of Nicodemus...

The smiling mouse shrugged. "But that would be a bit forced, wouldn't it?"

Justin sighed. This mouse looked wild, but he didn't think he meant to do harm.

The tattooed mouse held up an item that interested Justin.

"You looking for this? The big one dropped it in his hurry to help Brisby."

It was the amulet. It seemed to be glowing a fierce color next to Befor, and Justin guessed as to how the light came. The rat nodded, and with a flick of his hand, the wild mouse made the stone float over to Justin. It fell into the rat's hand, and Justin looked carefully at the mouse.

"You must be the recluse Brisby mentioned... Befor?"

Befor nodded. "Yep. Befor. As in Before. As in 'Before I was here, I was control group B, number 4. Be - fore. Heh."

Justin gained an extraordinary expression. The constantly smiling mouse chuckled.

"I remember you. You were the one who got all the string."

Realization dawned on Justin. "You're from NIMH."

"Yes..." Befor's eye became sad at the memory. "That wonderful white place with all the needles. Faugh." Sarcasm dripped from his voice. Then his eye became bright again. "But I guess we can't be too bitter. It's made us what we are today."

That Justin didn't contradict. Instead he asked. "What happened? We thought you had all died in the vents."

Befor shrugged. "I dunno, to be honest. A few of us got lucky and escaped through another vent outside. Not sure what happened to the rest. The ones that got away separated and I ended up here. Founded that pathetically proud colony Micoloni." Another dry chuckle.

"Micoloni...Brisby was in front of your house, Befor, you must know what happened."

"Of course I did. How do you think you thought to look here?"

"Er...Never mind. I can't believe that..." Justin began lapsing back into depression at the thought. "If only I could've..."

"You were asleep and far away. So was I."

"Yes but..."

"But what? It was just some maniac worse than I am."

Justin sighed. "She was an ambassador of peace, and Micoloni..."

"NICOLAS. Don't drag the other mice into this. Aside from pride and poor taste in leadership, they're good creatures." Befor sighed, and then smiled again. "They just need to be brought down to earth."

"And Nicolas brought down lower..." Justin growled.

"Heheheheh. That matter's being handled as we speak. It won't be long before Nicolas gets his, I assure you." Befor cocked his head. "By the way, shouldn't you be returning that to her?"

Justin looked down at the amulet in his paw. In the conversation, he had forgotten. "Oh yeah, I better get going." Justin turned, and then stopped. "What do you mean, 'won't be long'?"

"I mean what I say and say what I mean. Just remember, my friend, things get a little dangerous before the happily-ever-after. Now shoo. I'm expecting another guest."

Justin walked back to the rat settlement, relieved and concerned at the same time. He imagined that was what most of B-4's guests felt.

-

Befor went back into his house. He began drawing on the floor. He always prided himself on his ability to draw nothing so artfully.

He got his visitor.

Nicolas barged into the room without knocking. He set eyes on Befor and boomed. "Befor. I want to speak to you. Important matters."

"Well, Mr Forward Bulldozer, what could possibly be so important that you'd stoop to visiting little old me?" Befor laughed.

Nicolas ignored it best he could, and then regained his initiative. "We are preparing for war with the rats. If you help me, all can be forgiven and forgotten, wiseman."

"Huh." Befor chuckled bitterly, and then went back to his drawing, looking pensive. Nicolas wasn't surprised by his lack of an answer, but he still fumed.

"You should know, Louis isn't in charge anymore. I am. It's in your best interest to go with me."

Befor continued to look pensive, and then turned his head up, as though he had a revelation. Then he put his hand under his chin and spoke, still smiling.

"You know, Nic, I just had a thought.

Why didn't you just say the rats had captured, or even killed Mrs. Brisby?"

Nicolas' eyes shot up.

Befor continued to laugh. "You would've had PLENTY of support then...everybody liked her. But nooooooo...you had to come up with a ridiculous story that, really, nobody believes. Why was that?"

"You shut up right now, Befor..." Nicolas snarled.

His threat was lost on the madmouse. "I'll tell you why, then. Because you wanted to make her a loathsome in their eyes as she was in yours. And why was she so hated by you?

Because she knew more about something you claimed to be an expert on. She was capable of revealing you for what you really are, Nicolas."

Befor had stepped up to Nicolas, and his crazed, mocking eyes were meeting Nicolas crazed, angry eyes.

"Be quiet, madmouse..."

"Beneath all the speeches and threats, there's...nothing. Not even rationality for what you're doing. Nothing. Just a petty mouse trying to..."

Nicolas still had a fierce left hook. That hook toppled Befor. As well as the other three.

"YOU BE QUIET, MANIAC! I'LL HAVE NO MORE OF YOUR RAMBLINGS!" Nicolas raved.

"I'm the maniac? Oh yeah."

Nicolas dragged Befor up. "You tell me about the rats NOW!"

"Why should I? You know Nicolas, you've made quite a few dumb mistakes..."

"Mistakes? I'll show you a mistake!" Nicolas whaled on the laughing Befor, his anger growing with every one of the mouse's laughs. Eventually Nicolas had had enough.

"You're not going to help me, Hm, Madmouse?"

"Ahahahaha...not really."

Nicolas drove another fist in Befor's chest. Befor stumbled up slowly.

"I'll tell you this, Nic. All it'll take to bring you down..." Befor was still smiling. "Is for the mice of Micoloni to stop and actually get a good look at the rat enemy that isn't there." Befor chuckled. "That's all its gonna take, Nicky."

Nicolas snarled. He grabbed the broken form of Befor and dragged him up. "If you won't help me, you better not do anything to stop me, Befor!"

"Oh, don't worry. I don't need to. You attack Brisby and deposit her in front of my house, you tell a fish story that nobody believes, and now you're going to attack a colony that did nothing to you because you can't afford to wait! You're digging your own grave, Nicolas. And I'll be there to see you trip and fall into it."

Nicolas had heard enough. A blow to the back kept Befor silent for the long trek back to Micoloni and it's prisons.


	19. Threats

Thorn Valley chapter 18  
Threats

-

Nicolas was pondering all the way to Micoloni. The madmouse's words buzzed in his mind like a swarm of gloating bees. All it'll take... Nicolas had best take measures to prevent that.

He actually had several plans. The tunnel was still up...he could lead a sneak attack on the colony, order his men to act quickly. Or he could go by himself... it didn't matter either way. If that wasn't enough, he could have everyone fire at it with their arrows from a distance. They could make those rats think the arrows were raining like hail...or something like that.

Brisby was possibly still a problem. If she got wind somehow that her children weren't under his control, the blackmail he was using would lose it's power and she or one of her friends could appear and ruin it all. He would feel better if the children were in is grasp, to keep Brisby out of the picture.

He would see to that first.

-

Louis only just woke up. He looked around to see he was in the colony's prison cell. Nothing to really see other than the fact it was a prison cell. Nicolas! Louis growled in his throat before rubbing it and wincing. He started to wonder if Nicolas wasn't responsible for that, too.

"Home again, home again, jiggety jig...OOF!"

Louis suddenly had company. A multicoloured fur bundle was thrown into the cell with him. He recognized it despite the fact he hadn't seen him in months. Befor's hands were bound together with thick rope. The cell door slammed and locked.

"Befor?"

"Hullo, Louis. Nice to see you're alive and...well, okay." Befor let out a low chuckle, one of the drier ones.

Louis sighed. "Nicolas?"

"Yep. Our mutual friend Nicky seems to have lost his patience. Heheh."

"That infernal mouse, I should've seen this coming..."

"Would it have mattered?" Befor shrugged. "Don't worry. Nicolas is gonna get his own sooner than you hope."

Louis was well aware of Befor's double talk and riddles. He didn't press him for an answer.

Befor made himself as comfortable as he could be. Spreading his bounded hands in front of him, his eye glowed brighter until it was a flashlight, sending the shadow of a bird on the far wall...

-

"Are you serious?" Excitement and fear choked Timothy Brisby's voice at Mother Jones' tale. All the children were staring at her with wide eyes.

"Yep. I know where t' go. The tunnels in the back."

"We're gonna see mommy again!" Cynthia bounded.

"Yep. Barrin' anythin' happen'n..."

Mother Jones was well aware that saying that aloud was tempting something to happen. So something happened. The five heard the front door being broken open. They all froze.

"MOTHER JONES! WHERE ARE YOU?"

"Nicolas!" Teresa squeaked in terror.

Mother Jones looked worried as well. "You stay up here, I'll see to this!"

She went down and saw Nicolas and two of his guards threatening Alicia and Afte with their spearpoints. The sight made her snap.

"Y' Stay Away From My Kids, Nicolas!" She snarled.

Nicolas was actually afraid, but his spearpoint prevented Mary from getting close. He smiled.

"Not so tough now, are you Mary? I'm going to give you another chance. The Brisby children. Where are they?"

"You got a hearin' problem, Nicolas? Ye ain't going NEAR them!"

"You're the one with the problem, Jones. Louis is gone. I'm in charge. And I'm not taking 'No' for an answer. Now where are they?" Nicolas thrust his spearpoint up to Mary Jones' neck.

Mary Jones grimaced. "I know what ye' did to Brisby, Nicolas."

Nicolas' fury grew. "What?" Nicolas pressed the sharp point against Mother Jones' chin.

"Ye think y' could lie t' me?"

The first inklings of real fear crept into Nicolas. "Be QUIET!"

"No."

Nicolas became more and more nervous. "The children for your goddamn LIFE!"

"Ye'll take 'em over my dead body." Mary defied.

"With pleasure." Nicolas growled.


	20. Escape

Thorn Valley Chapter 19  
Escape

-

Mary Jones would be dead if the alarm had sounded a second later.

!

"What..." It only took that split second that Nicolas took to turn.

Mary Jones grabbed the stave that had been threatening her and drove it backwards into Nicolas' chest. The mouse captain toppled over and bumped into his other two guards and the children they had been threatening had the spearpoints removed from their necks.

"C'mon!" Afte and Alicia didn't need to be told twice, and ran towards their mother. The Brisby children, who had been upstairs, got out and were promptly pushed to the back by Mary Jones.

Nicolas got up and nearly gave chase when a mouse guard burst into the room.

"Nicolas! What are you doing here? We're being attacked!"

"The rats?"

"No, a bird or something...You gotta come look!"

"But I need to..."

CRASH! The bird the guard was referring to slammed down in front of the house. It was a huge, multicolored white thing that seemed to prop itself up on it's thick wings. The creature reached in and grabbed Nicolas with two white mandibles.

"GAAAAAHHHHHH!" Nicolas screamed as the thing thrust him out of Mother Jones' house and up into the air. Nicolas landed on the ground hard.

He fumed. That was an insult! He regained his initiative and commanding presence.

"Guards! Kill that infernal thing! Now! I want it dead! Dead!"

-

Mary ripped the covering off the hole like paper. The Brisby's saw the tunnel that led to the rat's home. Mother Jones didn't give them much time to speculate and hurried them in, along with her own children.

"C'mon! Head that way!"

"What about Nicolas? Won't he come after us?"

"I dunno, but we gotta hurry! Go, go!" Everybody dropped into the tunnel except Mary Jones, who chanced to look up to see what the commotion was about that was distracting Nicolas...

It was flying up into the air. A White bird that looked like it had four furry wings and tattoos...

Mary remembered something her husband once showed her on the wall of their house, on a night with a light shining behind them.

"Look, Mary, a bird!"

Mary put her wrists together so that her palms were facing her and her thumbs were crossed. Her fingers looked like wings.

She smiled. "Ya wonderful littl' lunatic." She mused before following the children down the tunnel towards the rats.

-

"Fire, archers! Fire until that thing goes down! FIRE!" Nicolas boomed at the archers surrounding Micoloni. And they obeyed, sending shaft after shaft into the air like backwards hail.

None connected with the white...Things. More of them appeared, and they were drawing the fire of every archer. The birds only seemed to mock them, ducking and diving about, all the arrows in Micoloni missing them.

"Keep Firing!"

"But we're out of arrows!"

"WHAT!"

"We used up all our arrows!"

Nicolas looked around, a cold dread seeping over him. The shafts were becoming less and less numerous, and they eventually ceased altogether. The birds seemed content with their game, and vanished...

Nicolas froze in horror. He had forgotten something! Mother Jones and the Brisby children! He had forgotten about them! Nicolas tore down to the foster mother's house like a mouse possessed.

He blasted into the house and noticed immediately the back door was open. They couldn't have escaped...could they? They couldn't! They mustn't!

Nicolas ran out the back door and nearly tripped into the hole. The hole! Nicolas looked down, and in absolute horror recognized the tunnel that led straight to the rats dwelling. Mother Jones and Brisby's children were on their way there!

"No nononono NOOOOO!" Nicolas intended to follow them when another bird slammed down in front of him. It regarded him mockingly, and a sudden familiarity struck Nicolas. Those wings looked like white, tattooed paws...

"DON'T YOU DARE!" Nicolas' threat was lost on Befor's hands as they slammed down on the ground harder. The ground shook, and the tunnel entrance collapsed onto itself.

Nicolas was knocked down. When he got up again, he saw that the ground have caved in where the tunnel was. The entrance was useless now. There was no way that he could go into the tunnel. The entrance here was ruined, and with the tunnel blocked off, the main entrance would be worth less.

Somehow he didn't doubt that the other mice had been far away and were safely on their way to the rats. He couldn't chase them.

"NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! MARY! BRISBY! BEFOR! YOU'LL ALL PAY FOR THIS!"


	21. Plans ruined

Thorn Valley chapter 20  
Plans ruined

-

Louis wasn't naive enough to suppose all the ruckus outside wasn't connected to how Befor was using his glowing hands. They abruptly stopped glowing...whatever it was, he was done. Befor let out one of his famous chuckles.

"Hehehehehe. Look sharp, Louis. We're about to have a visitor soon."

Louis shook his head. Befor as usual. It was a few minutes before the mouse's predictions came true.

Nicolas stormed into the cell, dusty and absolutely irate. He turned his bloodshot eye on Befor, more furious than a hurricane. He grabbed Befor by the scruff of his neck and pushed him up against a wall.

"You said you wouldn't interfere, madmouse!" Nicolas finally snarled.

Befor laughed as best he could, with Nicolas' paw around his throat. "Aheheh...I lied to get what I wanted. Surely YOU of all creatures can understand that."

That remark earned a fierce blow from Nicolas' other paw. "You wretched little maniac, do you think this changes anything?"

"Actually I do. Think about it. Your tunnel's ruined, so a sneak attack is out of the question. And with all your arrows wasted, you can't fight from a distance. And without the threat over her children, all Brisby has to do is limp up to the gates and expose you. What are you gonna do, huh?"

Nicolas face became more enraged as the reality hit him. Befor was right...All his contingent plans had been systematically ruined. Ruined!

"Remember..." Befor gloated. "All they have to do is take a look around..."

Nicolas threw Befor onto the floor in a rage. "Be quiet, madmouse! I've heard enough of your ramblings!" Nicolas stormed out the cell, leaving the two mice inside.

For the first time since he began this campaign, Nicolas felt terror. His plan could be wrecked...but he couldn't stop now! He would not admit defeat! He would fight, he would WIN! No matter what the enemies did! When this was over, he would see to it that Louis, Befor, Mary and Brisby were dead and gone!

Nicolas passed a message along to the town crier. He had an idea, his last-ditch one. But there was no time to waste. He had to move fast.

-

Mrs. Brisby winced as she brought a bowl of soup to her lips. Some of those bruises were still bitterly complaining. They were better now though...she could limp on a crutch Frank had provided, and she felt some strength return to her. Mary's promise probably helped. Somehow, she knew Mary would keep to her word.

The door creaked open very slightly. Brisby looked up, and whoever was behind the door ducked behind it, ashamed to show his face.

"Um...Come in?" Brisby asked more than commanded.

Justin, his head hanging down and his fingers in his pockets walked in slowly, closing the door behind him. He was unwilling to return Brisby's gaze. She smiled.

"Oh, hello Justin...Is something wrong?"

Justin sighed and looked up. "No, it's nothing...Um, here." Justin handed her the stone. Brisby clutched it in her bandaged paws and felt it's strength going into her. She felt better, but she noticed the look on her friends face.

"Justin, what is it? What's wrong?"

Justin gulped and sat down. He was silent for a moment, and then spoke up.

"Um...Brisby, are you ever...um...bitter at Jonathan."

"What?"

"Well...for dragging you into all this...NIMH and...well...us..."

Brisby understood. "Is this about...What happened?"

Justin nodded to her bandages. "It just...it's just that you got hurt because of us, because of your friendship with the rats of NIMH, and...that was what Jonathan was so afraid of..." Justin sighed again, and a short silence followed.

Brisby looked at her bandages. Then the stone. It was true...she would've wanted nothing more than to be a simple mouse living with her children on a farm, as simple as that...but...

Brisby smiled at Justin. "Of course I'm not bitter. Not about that...that would be like blaming Timmy for getting Pneumonia that day. That was what really...Justin, it's alright."

Justin was silent for a moment, and then agreed. "I guess so...but...um, speaking of Timmy, what do you think is going to happen? I mean..."

Brisby smiled warmly. "It'll be alright."

"How do you...?"

"MOTHER!"

Justin jumped out of his chair at the voice that seemed to have come from the wall. His eyes darted around the room before settling on the large crack along the wall. Several pairs of eyes stared back at him. One of them spoke up.

'Brisby, can yer friend dig? We gotta get these kids in here!"

"Mary!" Brisby hopped out of bed and hobbled towards the crack. Justin, still a little confused, pawed away at the dirt around the crack, widening the space. He was aided by several paws on the other side, all of them eager to make the hole big enough to crawl through.

It was soon big enough for Cynthia to get through, and she wasted no time in getting to her mother and giving her a big hug. It was happily reciprocated. Seeing this spurred Justin to widen the holes, and soon Timothy, Martin and Teresa got through and ran to their mother. The bear hug was one of the most touching scenes Justin had seen.

"It's so great to see you again!"  
"We were so worried, Mama!"  
"I was worried."  
"I knew that ra...maniac was lying about you!"  
"Are you Okay?"  
"Are YOU okay? Did Nicolas do that?"

Justin smiled happily, then turned to the large mouse and two children he didn't recognize squirm through the hole. He turned to Brisby.

"Um, who may I ask?"

"Oh, that's Mary Jones, she's a friend."  
"I can see that..." Justin grabbed the tall mouse's hand and shook it warmly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs Jones."

Mother Jones blushed and replied. "Feelin's mutual." Justin noticed she had quite a firm handshake. Afte and Alicia introduced themselves, and welcomes were made all round.

Eventually Justin looked at the tunnel. "What is this?"

Mary Jones explained. "That's how Nick saw you and Bris."

"You mean Nicolas?" Justin growled.

"Yep." Afte replied. "Don't worry, the tunnel's blocked off where he could get in."

"Still, this should be filled in..." Justin turned to Mary Jones. "You got Brisby's children away from that monster. Now maybe we can act..."

"Actually, that's the thing." Afte chimed in. "With his, uh, leverage gone, he's not gonna wait around for you or Brisby to show him up,"

"What do you mean?"

"He's runnin' out of time, and he knows it. He's gonna act, fast. With all the mice he's got under his control. You better get ready.

-

Nicolas was acting faster than Afte was implying. He had gathered all his 'friends' together, and all the mice of Micoloni were keen to listen.

"My friends, I will not waste time with a speech. War is coming. Those vermin down in the valley are preparing to strike, to take our colony over, to kill our wives and enslave our children! They are coming!"

The mice of Micoloni were stunned into silence. The threats Nicolas had made had hit hard.

"We must strike now! We cannot tarry any more! We must attack! We will charge into the rat's den, all of us, and we will destroy those heathens before they come at us!"

A cheer of agreement rose up, the spirit of the moment invading.

"My friends! For our wives! Our children! Our Home! Let us MOVE!"


	22. Charge

Thorn Valley chapter 21  
Charge

-

Afte's prediction of Nicolas' attack wasn't unfounded. An eagle eyed scout picked up a legion of armed mice coming towards the settlement thanks to his telescope. The news reached Justin's ears, and he was momentarily stunned.

He was smart enough to act, however. He ordered all the women and children of the rat colony into secure areas, immediately. Everyone complied, and doors and windows were barred, locked and sealed as quickly as possible.

But aside from that, Justin had no clue what to do. He had never prepared his colony for war like this. They had all been too occupied with setting the colony up and arranging things for their benefit. They had too few real weapons or trained soldiers. War had never been on anyone's mind.

And was this really a war? This was a desperate attack driven on by a madmouse and innocent creatures. If they could only somehow see sense...but no-one saw any hope of that right now. The best thing they could do - the ONLY thing they could do - is bar things up, seal the doors and hope that they would leave after being rebuffed by stone walls.

Justin wanted no casualties on either side, so he focused on defensive. That was the best bet. No-one disagreed - open conflict was out of the question with the surprise of the attack and the lack of real fighting skills, compared to the mice at Micoloni who Nicolas had likely been conditioning for months.

Nobody was keen to disagree. Mrs. Brisby, Mary and the children were placed in a secure location as well, near the walls of the place.

Brisby sighed, helplessly. "War. All because of that monster Nicolas."

Mary concurred. "You should've heard the stuff he was sayin' about the rats back at the colony. Everybody ate 'im up." She let out a groan of frustration. "They'd likely kill any rat on sight, on Nick's orders."

Martin banged his fist in frustration. "Why can't they see that he's LYING? Someone should go up and tell them the truth!"

"Like who?" Afte replied. "Nicolas or no Nicolas, they won't trust rats. If Justin or any rat here showed up in front of them, he'd be dead before he could say a word. They won't listen to a rat they don't know. But you're right...if they stopped and saw this place for what it is, they'd stop listening to Nicolas. Someone just needs make 'em see."

"Yeah, sure. But who'll they listen to, sides Nicolas now?"  
"I dunno."

Brisby had heard Afte's words, and was dwelling on them in the long silence that followed. If only they could stop the misguided mice, everything would blow over, no casualties at all. But they wouldn't pay any attention to the rats. Not without...

Brisby thought something strange. There was a funny meaning to Afte's words...almost as if he was implying what to do. Didn't Befor say something like that? Afte did look a lot like Befor...

No soldier would harm an unarmed woman...something like that...they wouldn't attack...someone they knew?

Mrs. Brisby gulped hard and clutched the stone, almost willing it to give her courage. She knew what had to be done.

All or nothing, come what may, she'd do it. For her friends and family.

She clutched the stone and tighter and suddenly her leg was feeling a lot better...

-

Louis had overheard Nicolas' impromptu speech from his cell. He growled.

"They're going to follow him into war on his word...and what do you suppose will happen to the two of us when he returns, Befor?" He demanded.

Befor sighed, all humour absent. "He'd come back, kill us both and set himself up as official ruler of Micoloni. All at the cost of goodness knows how many innocent lives."

"You mean..." Louis was stunned, and then understood. "The rats there were never going to attack us, were they? They just wanted to live and let live..." Louis sunk his head in shame. "I should've seen this coming..." He muttered.

"More or less. Not that Nic cares. He's gonna kill them all and become king." Then Befor's head shot up, as if he knew something that made him happy. "IF everything goes according to his plan."

"If?" Louis was interested.

"You know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men...aheheheheh. They go all awry."

"So he can be stopped?" Louis was excited now.

"They'll need to stop themselves first..." Befor chuckled and pointed at the door. There was a flash, and then there was no door.

"But there's nothing that says we can't help speed matters along. C'mon, Louis. Let's go join the party."

-

Nicolas stopped his army a good distance away from the rat colony. They could see it, not too clearly, in the background. Nicolas called the mice of Micoloni to order and spoke.

"Listen well, friends. Our success today depends on speed. We must not tarry, for ANY reason! Do not stop at all. But see to it that every accursed vermin in those walls is dead within the hour! No mouse should hesitate to strike!"

"You mean women, children?" Markus, who was captain over one of the flanks that would lead the charge, finally got the nerve to ask. Nicolas turned on him in a fury.

"Would they hesitate to do the same to our wives, our children? No!" He wouldn't give Markus an opportunity to answer. "They would not! We cannot show mercy to the heathens! We must protect Micoloni by ANY means necessary! Now! Go and do NOT hesitate! CHAAAAAAARGE!"

-

A red rat scuttled into the room where the mice were being kept safe.

"That lunatic mouse and his loyal soldiers have arrived! Now, their spears shouldn't make a dent on these walls, but we should be careful! Now, is everyone here?"

It seemed everyone was, and then Afte made a blunt notice.

"Anyone seen Mrs. Brisby?"

At the sound of her name, everyone's eyes darted around looking for the mouse in question. An icy fact suddenly came into view.

"She's not here!"  
"She must've slipped out while we were talking!"

The red rat and a grey companion of his were shocked. "Where'd she go?"

"You don't think she...um..."  
"She wouldn't...would she?"

Mary Jones knew. She got up and walked towards the door.

"Um, Madame could you..." The red rat stuttered at the mouse that was as bug a he was.

"Outta my way!" May Jones wasn't one to mince words. She shoved the rat aside and ran out the door.

Martin got up to follow her but the red rat thought otherwise.

"At least you and the kids stay here!"

"But momma..."

"I don't know what Brisby and Jones are doing, but I don't think they'd want you getting yourself killed! Now stay here!" Martin thought a moment and obeyed, and the red rat shook his head, muttering. "If I ever meet the guy who said that mice were weak, timid creatures..."

-

The mice of Micoloni were at the gates. Several noted that they were without the skulls and blood Nicolas had described, but their commander didn't give them a chance to pontificate.

"ATTAAAAAAAACK! NOW!" A battering ram that Nicolas had the foresight to construct made short work of the door. Nicolas was forced, much to his annoyance, to sit back and undo the knots that he had to tie to hold the battering ram. That was what you got for being so eager to be the first in the battering.

Nicolas undid the knots around his wrists and looked up to a horrifying sight. None of the mice of Micoloni were charging with the speed he wanted. In fact, they weren't moving. The gate was wide open, but the army simply would not go forward.

Nicolas was utterly terrified now. What was stopping them? He looked up and saw.

It wasn't an army of rats that they were seeing, or even a single one, no savage heathens Nicolas had described. Not a creature dressed for war or killing.

No. Standing in front of the army, all alone and unarmed, was a female mouse in bandages, a red stone around her neck and a red cape trailing behind her.

Mrs. Brisby.


	23. War averted

Thorn Valley chapter 22  
War averted.

-

The mice of Micoloni simply could not bring themselves to charge on Mrs. Brisby. They wouldn't attack anyone they knew...and now that they saw her, all of Nicolas' accusations seemed ridiculous... and then there were those bandages she already had...

Markus, who had been made to lead the charge and had more or less stopped it himself, stepped up to Brisby, concerned.

"Wh-what are you doing here? You shouldn't be getting involved in this, you had better go..."

"I'm not going anywhere." Brisby spoke those words with a quiet but clear conviction that seemed to affect all the mice present except one.

Markus gulped, unsure of what to do now. She wasn't going to move...why was she...then he noticed her black eye and bandages.

"How...did you get those?"

"Nicolas gave them to me. After he banished me and threatened my children.

"Nicolas?" A murmur ran through the mice army that, moments ago, were poised to attack the colony on Nicolas' orders.

Nicolas saw the looks that everyone was giving him, and that they were all looking around curiously. He quickly got over his initial shock.

"D-don't listen to her! She's lying! Those vermin put her up to this, don't be fooled! She swore herself to the savages!"

"Savages? What savages? Look around, there's no savages here..." Brisby began, but was quickly interrupted.

"Be quiet, Jezebel! I'll have no more of your lies!" Nicolas barged through the army and moved to throw his spear at Brisby and silence her.

One of the guards noticed and grabbed the stave. "Nicolas! She's unarmed and wounded, are you out of your mind?"

"You won't like the answer to that question." Nicolas whirled around at the familiar mocking voice. Right behind the army was Befor and Louis...how did they get out of the cells?

Befor waved cheerfully. "Heya, Nick! Miss us?"

Nicolas was beginning to panic now. Almost all his enemies were here around him, they were going to ruin him! He couldn't let that happen!

Brisby began speaking again. "There's no savages, no war party here. Look around you. There's nothing here but dece-"

Nicolas whirled towards his army and boomed, his loud voice drowning out Brisby's words.

"DON'T LISTEN TO HER! She's lying, they all lie! Listen, my friends, don't let appearances deceive! These rats are monsters! They will destroy us all if we do not strike now!"

Brisby was becoming scared. This wasn't working as well as she had hoped. Already she saw that the mice were listening to him.

"Please, you don't under -"

"Be Quiet, you miserable traitor! We cannot afford to hesitate on the word of a Jezebel! The rats will burn our colony to the ground, enslave our women and kill our children! We cannot -"

Nicolas was promptly silenced by the reappearance of his last enemy. Mary Jones had been hiding in the shadows right behind Nicolas, and in one swift movement she knocked the stave out of his hands and pinned Nicolas' arms to his sides while covering his mouth firmly with her paw. Mary Jones was strong...Nicolas wriggled but couldn't break her grip.

"Mother Jones?"  
"What are you doing?"  
"Let him go!

Mary Jones smiled over Nicolas' shoulder.

"Sure. I'll let 'im go. Just answer me this.

What have the rats actually done t' you?"

The absolute silence that followed was almost palpable. With Nicolas gagged, no-one had anything to say. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. The mice of Micoloni froze as the reality of things struck them hard.

Mary Jones broke the silence at last. "Silence sure is deafening with Nic' and his fancy speeches, eh?"

Brisby took a breath in...she had the floor again, and prayed that she could say the right things.

"Look around you. Do you see any savages, any warlords, any skulls?"

The mice of Micoloni looked around. The walls were clean, the place was civilized and there were no weapons in sight at all. A few heads poked out of the windows. Men, women and children that reminded the mice of their own families. All their furry faces began to fall.

"There's no savages here. Nicolas lied. These are decent creatures, no different than you or I or our families. They only meant to live and let live in peace, nothing more."

Several of Nicolas' guards felt their throats constrict. An icy realization was hitting them full force. Nicolas, helpless for the first time in his life, felt absolute horror as he stayed pinned down by Mary.

Befor couldn't resist speaking up. "Tsk, tsk. To think that everybody went to all this trouble to attack creatures that never meant them harm. It's almost funny." Suddenly the humour left his voice. "Countless innocent lives could've been lost...on what? The unproven, unbacked word of a fanatic. And you followed him.

Why? I'll tell you why. Because you picked him for a leader. And since the oh-so-clever mice of Micoloni chose to follow him, he MUST be a great leader, right? Wrong. And might I remind you..." Befor pointed to his scars. "You proud fools ELECTED the king who did this."

The mice of Micoloni were absolutely speechless. There was a stunned silence for a moment, everyone trying to convince or excuse themselves in their heads, and then hanging those heads down in utter shame. The only thing worse than being called proud fools was realizing you deserved the title. Nicolas had never backed any of his statements, he had made the most unbelievable lies, and they had trusted him solely on his word. And here they were, about to attack innocent men women and children on the word they had never bothered to scrutinize.

Befor nudged Louis. "I think the REAL leader of Micoloni has something to say to whoever's in charge here?"

Louis gave Befor a stunned look, and then turned towards the gate that led to the rat colony. Louis gulped and walked through the silent crowd to the threshold where Brisby was standing.

One of the doors opened, and a tall brown rat emerged. He didn't look even remotely like an evil warlord...if anything, he looked like a friendly, extremely tall mouse. Justin walked up to where Brisby and Louis were standing.

Louis felt every eye bore into him. He looked at Brisby and then Justin. He was at a loss for words. "I...I, um er I..."

His face fell into his paws. "I'm so sorry. This is...I should've...I...I...This is my fault, I'm supposed to lead, I should've...I'm so stupid, I...please forgive me."

Mice shook their heads. THIS was the proud tyrant? Nicolas had been lying about that too. Markus turned with a now disgusted look at his former commander. Nicolas knew with awful certainty that he was as good as dead.

Louis continued. "I...I beg your forgiveness...both...all of you...and I..." Louis tried desperately to work himself up. "I'm...I'm not sure if I...if any of us deserve it...but c...can there be peace between us?"

All mice present held their breath, expecting the furious rat king to refuse.

Justin only smiled. "That was all we ever wanted. Yes."

Louis shot his head up in surprise, and then smiled. The mice of Micoloni breathed a whoop of embarrassed relief. Brisby smiled and calmed down, realizing she had been tense the whole time. It was over.

"rrrrrRERRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

Nicolas had had it. He had always carried a dagger inside his cloak, and before anyone could react, he broken free and buried it deep with Mary Jones' chest.


	24. Nicolas' demise

Nicolas' demise

-

Mary Jone's eyes went wide as the blade pierced something vital. Nicolas drew it out in a flash, and Mary crumpled to the floor.

Befor's eyes became wide with horror. "MARY!"

Nicolas turned on Louis and Brisby, an animalistic fury in his eyes. There was nothing left, and he knew it. But he wasn't going alone.

The murderous rage in Nicolas' eyes intensified and he leapt at Louis, snarling like a wolf. Louis would've been dead meat if Justin hadn't intercepted and knocked Nicolas away.

Any doubts in the minds of the mind regarding the rat king's sincerity and Nicolas' mental state were erased then and there. Markus snapped out of his shocked trance and ran at Nicolas, spear pointed.

"Stop it, Nicolas! It's over!"

Markus was flung aside as Nicolas grabbed his stave and tossed the hapless mouse captain aside. Momentarily rotating the stave so that the deadly end was pointed towards Justin, he charged viciously, all sense and rationality gone.

A large group of Nicolas' former guards managed to hold him down for a second, but powerful Nicolas threw them all off like ragdolls. One managed to get his stave to Justin before Nicolas knocked him aside.

Justin wasn't particularly experienced with Micoloni staves, and his moves were rather desperate blocks. But they kept Nicolas at bay for the time being. But the crazed mouse was too driven and kept coming at him.

There was a flash, and Nicolas wasn't holding a stave anymore. Befor was at Mary Jones' side, his eye glowing with a fury all it's own.

Nicolas managed to dodge his adversary's strike and leapt on the terrified Brisby, his paws coming around her throat.

"YOU'VE DESTROYED EVERYTHING!" He managed to snarl before Louis managed to make him loosen his grip with the blunt edge of a stave. Nicolas whirled around and struck Louis aside, and as he did he remembered the army.

They were all advancing, spears pointed. They were going to kill him, and Brisby and the rat king would do worse! Nicolas got to his feet and began running into the colony. There must be somewhere he can hide!

Befor was at Mary Jones' side. Mary was barely conscious and bleeding out of her wound despite Befor's speedy attempt at a bandage.

"You're gonna be ok, Mary, you're gonna be ok..." He kept repeating, to himself as much as to Mother Jones.

She only smiled weakly. "'Course I'll be OK...just get 'im fer me, will ya?"

Befor was hesitant to leave her side, but you couldn't refuse Mary Jones.

Justin looked at Brisby and Mary quickly before demanding a doctor here NOW! Markus picked himself up and followed Befor to where the mouse maniac had run off to. The other one. One of the mice of Micoloni sat down hard. "A psychopath. He's a psychopath. All our talk about separating ourselves from Lichus and we follow another psychopath."

Frank and Mr. Ages appeared and Justin went after Nicolas himself, planning to make that monster pay.

Frank was caught in a particular dilemma between Brisby and Mary Jones. The cry came from both of them simultaneously.

"Don't worry about me, Help HER!"

-

Befor, Markus and Justin all charged through the tunnel that they saw Nicolas run into.

"Where'd he go?"  
"I don't know, but When I find him..."  
"But where'd he go?"

The tunnel was suddenly alive with bright, piercing light and a mouse's agonized scream.

Befor shrugged. "My guess is he went thataway."

"The Generator!" Justin ran faster towards the sound of the voice, and the two mice followed suit.

When they got to the generator room, all they found was a whirling cylinder and a hideously charred mouse corpse that had once worn a flowing cloak. Nicolas had been electrocuted, and his fur looked cooked. Some of it was ablaze.

"Nicolas..." Markus reviled in disgust at the sight.  
Justin shook his head. "A fitting fate."

Befor looked up at the sign over the generator, then at what had once been Nicolas. His eyes kept darting between the two.

"AHeh. aheheheehheeheheheeeheehee..."

Justin and Markus turned in bewilderment at the wild mouse.

"I'm aheeheehee...I'm ..."

"What's so funny?" Justin demanded.

Befor, his giggle fit coming on full blast, pointed at the sign above the generator. "Look. Nicolas, the grand speeheeheech writer, the ahahahaha master of eloquent words ahahahahahahaha dies because he can't understand a THREE WORD SENTENCE!"

Tears streaming down his eyes, Befor dissolved helplessly into laughter, rolling on the floor at the grim irony of the insane Nicolas' fate. Justin and Markus watched him, not sure what to think.

Markus turned to Justin. "Let...let him laugh. He can't help it and...Nicolas didn't deserve any better."

Justin nodded. "But what about Brisby and Mary?"

That stopped Befor's merriment completely. Covering his smile scars and with a look of fear on his face, Befor raced in front of Justin and Markus back to the gates of the rat colony.


	25. Resurrection

Resurrection

Befor had beaten Markus and Justin, but he didn't beat Afte or Alicia. They had been released and were huddled around their mother with the doctor. Brisby's children had been let out as well, and they were with their mother as well. Befor grabbed the doctor's attention.

"How is she?" he demanded.

Frank looked at the two women. "Well, the good new is Brisby will be alright. As for Mary..."

"What?" A note of fear entered into Befor's voice now. His eyes were wide and his paws wouldn't allow him to smile.

Frank sighed. "She's bleeding internally. Nicolas' dagger cut deep. She doesn't have long..."

Frank was pushed aside as Befor ran straight to Mother Jones. He dropped down and grabbed her strong paw hard, wishing never to let go.

"nonononononono..." He kept muttering.

Mary looked up and smiled weakly. "Did...did y' get 'im?"

"He's gone..." There was no inkling of humour, cheerfulness of madness in his voice. 'Mary...I...I'm so sorry..."

"Don't go beaten' yerself up." Mary chuckled. She winced hard and Befor gulped again. Afte held his father's sentiments. "Wasn't yer...fault..."

"B-bu-but I haven't seen you in so long and now...now..."

"Oh, Hush!" Mary winced again, then sighed painfully. "Alicia, could you...could you be a doll and get Brisby o'er here?"

Alicia was hesitant, and then jumped up to get her over here.

Befor was at a loss for words for the first time in his life. "You CAN'T go! I haven't told you..."

"What makes y' think y' need t' tell me, Bef?" Jones winced again.

Mrs. Brisby was dragged by her hand by Alicia towards Mary Jones' lying form. Mary Jones smiled.

"Mary, are you..."

"Prob'ly not. Can I ask y' a favour?"

Brisby stammered briefly. "Um...sh-sh-sure, Mary, what do you need?"

"Can y' take care of my kids? Afte and Alicia?"

Befor broke down at this. The wise madman wept into Mary Jones' hand like a rainstorm.

The mice of Micoloni, feeling decidedly awkward and ashamed, respectfully inched away.

Brisby was stunned. "But Mary..."

"No buts. I took care of yer kids, 'member?" Mary groaned again. It wouldn't be long. "It's too bad I gotta go...now. Least me kids will be alright...and you, 'ventually."

Befor looked up at her, stunned and with tears in his wild eyes.

Mary Jones managed a painful laugh. "Everybody's gonna be alright now...glad I did it, I...guess, 'fore I had t' go..."

And with that, Mary Jones' eyes closed. Befor couldn't speak.

Brisby felt heat around her neck. She looked down at Nicodemus' amulet. It was glowing with a warm light. Maybe...

Afte and Alicia buried their faces in their mother's fur. "She can't be gone, she never did nothing bad, she can't be gone!" Alicia kept denying.

Brisby picked up the amulet. It was hot, not as hot as when her house was moved. She looked at Alicia.

"Who said she was gone for good?"

Alicia, Afte and Befor all looked at her, and then at the amulet that was glowing with an intense light. Even Befor was stunned.

Brisby acting without fully knowing what she was doing. It was as though she was being told what to do. The glow nearly blinding her, she placed the stone on Mary Jones' body.

The glow became even brighter, and everyone had to avert their eyes from it. Befor was a little unsure whether it was Brisby's or Mary's courage the stone was reacting to. Courage of the heart is very rare...the stone had a power when it's there...Was it possible...?

The glow subsided, and Brisby was sitting beside Mary Jones.

Mary Jones' deep wound was no longer there.

Mary made the quietest noise, but everyone heard her. She mumbled for a second, and then gingerly opened her eyes to see an absolutely elated Alicia.

"Mommy!" She cried as she jumped onto her very much alive mother.

"Alicia?" Mary was a little stunned. That pain was gone...was it possible? "I'm alright?"

"Sure looks like it!" Afte and Befor joined in the hug.

Mary woke up pretty quickly! "Woah! Easy, kids! Yer gonna crush me..."

"Hey! You should talk...you bent one of my ribs once!" Befor laughed. All his good humour had returned.

The initial shock of resurrection wore off and Mary Jones returned the hugs in front of the bewildered eyes of everyone else present. What just happened?

"How?" Mary finally asked.

"You should ask Mrs. Brisby. She -" Befor turned around to see Brisby lying on the ground.

"Brisby?"

Frank checked her. "It's alright, she just passed out. I'll get her to bed..."

Frank got so much volunteer help from the Brisby children that he couldn't help but wonder how she managed to get to bed without a scratch.

Brisby nearly woke up in her house on the farm. It took her a moment to remember that the farm wasn't there anymore, and that she had woken up in a large bed in the rat colony.

Justin and her children had been sitting at her bedside for some time now. They knew immediately that she had woken up. Cynthia hopped up and gave her a big hug.

Brisby gulped in surprise, and then returned the hug.

"It's good to see you're alright!" Justin quipped cheerfully as the other children gave Brisby a hearty group hug.

"It's great to BE alright!" Brisby smiled in response.

Befor barged in as if on cue. "She's awake! Great! Just in time."

Brisby blinked. "In time for what?"

"We're having a little party. Fancy sleeping in on a day like this! C'mon, you're the guest of honour!" Befor's perpetual smile seemed to be fitting more than ever today.

Brisby was practically dragged out into the celebration. Mice and rats alike were happy to see her, and Brisby was lifted onto the tall shoulders of Justin and Mary Jones. Drinks, food and friends were plentiful in this party.

Brisby laughed. For what she realized was the first time since she heard that farmer Fitzgibbon was leaving, she felt at home.


	26. Epilogue

_It has been twice now that Mrs. Brisby has aided the rats of NIMH. She was a courageous, brave and kind mouse. We met her 12 years ago, and she saved us. A year after that, she saved us again._

She died today.

It was a week ago when the plague struck. It hit us, mice and rats alike, hard. As Befor and Ages searched for a cure, Brisby and Mary worked tireless hours aided the affected, telling them to stay calm and rest.

Brisby didn't take her own advice.

By the time Befor found a cure, she had been struck worst of all. I still have nightmares of her writhing in fevered agony in her sickbed, completely helpless.

We got the cure, but Brisby's little old body had been so ravaged that we all knew what was coming. Even the stone Nicodemus had given her had dimmed back into slumber, acknowledging that it was her time.

Timothy had succumbed to the fever and Teresa had married and left years ago, but Martin and Cynthia, as well as Befor, Mary, Ages and I were with her in her last moments.

Brisby was a humble, simple mouse - her only worldly possessions were her red cloak and the amulet. I thought to bury the amulet with her, but she wouldn't hear of it.

I remember t all vividly. I looked upset, and she smiled her smile. She told me that she had had a good life, and didn't regret anything...not meeting Jonathan, the rats of NIMH or the mice of Micoloni. Then Mrs. Brisby told me not to be upset about her.

And she was gone. Quiet and peaceful.

Her children were sobbing into the bed, and Mary even cried softly. Befor had covered his scars and his eye looked sadder than ever. There were tears in my eyes, as well.

The room had a window, and I chanced to look through it.

I don't know if I saw ghosts, angels or just a grief delusion, and frankly, I don't care. All I know, I saw Mrs. Brisby and Jonathan, hugging, together again at last.

Whatever I saw, it helped.

-

It was a simple burial, but everyone - EVERYONE, mice of Micoloni and Rats of NIMH was there. Even Brisby's friend Jeremy had brought his family to pay his respects, and there was a shrew there that seemed to want to say something, but couldn't.

We placed her in a casket, lowered her into the earth and put her to rest. And that was that.

Brisby was a dear friend to me and the rats of NIMH, giving us all so much for so little. We are planning to make a chronicle of her and her husband's lives, as a tribute to these brave mice.

I'll have to work with Martin and Cynthia to get accurate information. I've already heard my brother describe them as warrior and prophetess. Heh.

I am closing this journal with this:

Rest in Peace, Mr. and Mrs. Brisby.

-Justin


End file.
